Heureka – balancing forest objectives
Swedish forest owners can now use their computers to see how their management actions affect forest areas. A single tool can be used to combine economics, ecology and social values – a globally unique concept.
(2013-04-20)
Mapping the ultrastructure of wood
The structure of wood cells determines how strong and moisture-resistant the wood is, and also how easily it is attacked by various wood-degrading fungi. New knowledge about wood fibres is of benefit to the timber, pulp and paper industries, as well as to house and ship builders. Wood cells have two walls. The structure of the secondary, inner wall has not yet been fully researched. The ultrastructure...
(2013-04-19)
Getting a grip on greenhouse gases
The exchange of greenhouse gases between the earth's surface in Europe and the atmosphere has hitherto been monitored in separate projects, but a European network of monitoring stations is starting to take shape.
(2013-04-18)
The return of the wolf
Having been almost completely absent for more than 100 years, the wolf is now rapidly recolonising central Sweden. Its return has met with strong feelings in many quarters.
(2013-04-17)
Restoring forests little by little
"Caring for the environment is a way of restoring our forests while we use them," explains Lena Gustafsson, Professor of Nature Conservation Biology.
(2013-04-17)
China, Vietnam and Ethiopia: Planting trend increases forested area
Afforested areas have grown rapidly in many countries over the past twenty years. Often it is smallholders in the tropics who plant forest on their own land. In China and Vietnam this has resulted in a net increase in the area of forest, since the area planted has exceeded the area of natural forest felled. The composition of tree species and the biodiversity found in the new forest differ from those...
(2013-04-12)
Forests at centre of global tug of war
Forestry is impacted by many trends, e.g. climate change, rising demand for wood and bioenergy, as well as rapid demographic and economic growth in some regions of the world. The ability of trees to fix carbon dioxide may come to play a central role in climate and forest policy. Competition between food and fibre production, e.g. in Brazil, may also end up impacting the profitability of Swedish forestry....
(2013-04-12)
Planning for both timber and biodiversity
With the help of the Heureka system (a software tool), SLU researchers have asked the question how the forest should be managed to provide both high profit and good habitats for various species.
(2012-01-03)
Following Global Forest Trends
Karin Beland Lindahl, researcher at SLU, studies international forest trends and how they may affect future forest management in Sweden.
(2011-12-15)
Community elders showed the effects of forestry
Solomon Gebreyohannis and Professor Kevin Bishop have been studying the relation of forest cover and river flow in the Koga watershed, a headwater of the Blue Nile in Ethiopia.
(2011-12-14)
Occurrence of Algae on Spruce Follows Nitrogen Deposition
The amount of algae found on Norway spruce needles in Sweden is a good indicator of the atmospheric deposition of nitrogen. High nitrogen deposition generates high algae growth and low nitrogen deposition generates low algae growth.
(2011-03-21)
Timber assessed using image analysis
Sawmill scalers can now use cameras and computer image analysis to count the annual rings in timber. This enables inspectors to spend their time assessing other quality criteria, such as size, crookedness and damage – saving sawmills money in the process.
(2010-06-18)
Russian larch gaining ground?
Larch has a high proportion of heartwood, which makes it an attractive alternative to pressure impregnated timber in various outdoor environments, such as playgrounds, jetties, verandas and facade panelling.
(2010-05-06)
Rodents shun mink treated beech nuts
It is expensive to plant oak and beech on clear-cut areas. For this reason, may forest owners still choose to plant spruce or pine. Another, cheaper way of regenerating broad leaf deciduous forest is by direct seeding.
(2010-04-09)
Thinned forest maintains the carbon sink
Forest management has a major impact on the carbon balance. SLU researchers are using modern technology to monitor flows of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere above forests of various kinds.
(2010-02-18)
Plants used to filter leachate
Phosphorus and organic substances leach from piles of watered timber and may cause eutrophication and oxygen deficiency in lakes, rivers and streams. Åsa Hedmark at SLU has been studying the efficiency of soil infiltration in order to reduce concentrations of phosphorus and organic carbon in timber leachate.
(2009-11-24)
Capturing images of wood fibres
It used to be difficult to image the fibre structure of paper and card. Wood fibres reflect light so well that it is impossible to study the internal structure of paper using a normal microscope.
(2009-04-24)
Better consultation on reindeer grazing
Wherever there are natural resources and a number of interested parties, conflicts arise. One such example is found in Sweden’s boreal forest region, used by reindeer owners and forest owners in parallel, although their aims diverge.
(2009-03-25)
Wood preservation using linseed oil
Refined linseed oil can be used for industrial pressure impregnation of spruce without causing any adverse environmental impacts. The process entails filling the pores in the wood with water-repelling oil. It was not formerly possible to impregnate spruce, but SLU researchers have now shown that the technique also works on this type of wood.
(2006-11-16)