Long-term field trials

Long-term field experiments: the cornerstone of our operations

The Unit for Field-based Forest Research is responsible for managing the faculty’s approximately 1,800 long-term forest field experiments. These trials cover a wide range of disciplines and research questions and represent a vital source of knowledge for both national and international research.

Since 1990, around one-fifth of all international publications from SLU’s Faculty of Forest Sciences have been based on data from these long-term field experiments. They also play a key role in undergraduate and postgraduate education, professional training, and excursions.

Information about the forest field trials is collected in several databases, including Silvaboreal – a Swedish registry database developed and managed by the Unit for Field-based Forest Research. Silvaboreal contains information on approximately 4,000 trials from various actors and is an important resource for research and planning.

New Long-Term Field Experiments

To be included among the faculty’s shared long-term field experiments, a field experiment must meet a number of key criteria. The experiment should have a well-designed and robust layout that meets statistical requirements and enables long-term monitoring. It should also contribute new knowledge or clearly complement existing long-term field experiments. In addition, a complete experimental plan is required, outlining the purpose, design, future management measures, and measurement program.

If you have a field experiment that you would like to include, you are encouraged to contact the Unit for Field-Based Forest Research at an early stage. A dedicated experimental plan template is used to support the process. Following review and evaluation, the unit will decide whether the experiment can be accepted as a long-term field experiment.

What does it mean for an experiment to be a faculty’s shared experiment?

When an experiment is accepted as a faculty’s shared long-term experiment, this means that:

• Maintenance and baseline measurements are carried out by the Unit for Field-Based Forest Research and are funded within the faculty’s budget.
• The experiment becomes a shared resource within the Faculty of Forest Sciences, where both the physical infrastructure and collected data are accessible for research and education.
• Data collected through externally funded projects will become available after the project has published its results.