WIFORCE Learning Series: Field Research and the Swedish Forestry Model
This course explores Sweden’s boreal forests, management practices and growing challenges.
Start date: 29 September 2026 09:00
End date: 30 September 2026 17:00
Language: English
Last day of registration: 4 September 2026
Organiser: WIFORCE research school
Location: Umeå
Registration will open later this Spring.
Students will gain insight into the historical development of Swedish forest policy, and the Swedish forestry model, as well as national forest monitoring systems including the Swedish National Forest Inventory. Through hands-on exposure to a forest research station, state-of-the-art infrastructure, forest field studies, and environmental data, participants will learn to design and formulate simple field experiments. By the end of the course, students can critically discuss different perspectives on the Swedish forestry model and place their own doctoral research within this broader context.
After the completion of the course the doctoral students are expected to
be able to:
- Describe boreal forests in Sweden
- Understand the history of a national forest policy in Sweden and
the Swedish forestry model - Gain knowledge on the Swedish National Forest Inventory and
other environmental monitoring and assessment programmes at SLU - Become familiar in how to set-up field studies and learn about experimental tools at a forest research station and experimental forest
- Formulate simple experiments combining forest field research and environmental data
- Be able to discuss different perspectives on the Swedish forestry model
Program
Literature assignment: Historical development of a Swedish forest policy and the Swedish forestry model & Contemporary forest management in Sweden (half day)
September 29 and 30
Svartbergets research field station
Lecture: Forest field research and study design
Lecture: The Swedish National Forest Inventory & SLU environmental monitoring
Excursion: Field research & forest inventory sample-based survey
Group discussion: Creating your own field research experiment
Lecture: The boreal vegetation zone & sustainable forest management
Excursion: Forest management in a boreal forest
Lecture: The Swedish forestry model
Group discussion: Compare economic, social and environmental values from the
view of different forest stakeholders
Written assignment: A written assignment in which the doctoral student reflects on their own research project in relation to sustainable forest management and the Swedish forestry model (half day).