Sustainable Forestry in Southern Sweden
Focus is on forest management and forest ecology in managed stands. We investigate how sustainable development is, or can be, implemented in today’s forestry practice. The course gives you the tools to switch from traditional instrumental-guideline approaches to more flexible objective-driven management to respond to emerging needs and challenges in forestry. We cover plantation forestry as it is widely practiced today, and emerging forest management approaches like continuous cover, mixed-species stands and retention tree practices. Two weeks are spent outdoors, visiting forests and experimental stands in Halland and Småland.
Information from the course leader
Roll call
All students should have been addressed with e-mail with invitation for the first day and been invited to Canvas, the course web page. If you have not, the roll call for Euroforester master program is on Monday 31 August, 9 am, in the lecture hall Skörden, Agricum, Alnarp. Contact course leader if you have additional questions. Here is also the link to the welcome information movie from SLU: https://internt.slu.se/en/support-services/education/education-at-bachelors-and-masters-level/new-students/
2020-07-05
Literature and time table
Literature list is now uploaded, as well as detailed time table and adjustments due to Covid19.
2020-03-02
First call course 2020
Dear students, if you have any immediate questions regarding the course, please e-mail the course leader Emma Holmström. During the course we have two mandatory field weeks (no fee for transport and accommodations). In course 2020 this weeks will be 21-25 September and 5-9 October.
course web page
Course evaluation
The course evaluation is now closed
SG0231-10020 - Course evaluation report
Once the evaluation is closed, the course coordinator and student representative have 1 month to draft their comments. The comments will be published in the evaluation report.
Additional course evaluations for SG0231
Academic year 2023/2024
Sustainable Forestry in Southern Sweden (SG0231-10130)
2023-08-28 - 2023-10-30
Academic year 2022/2023
Sustainable Forestry in Southern Sweden (SG0231-10196)
2022-08-29 - 2022-10-31
Academic year 2021/2022
Sustainable Forestry in Southern Sweden (SG0231-10089)
2021-08-30 - 2021-11-01
Academic year 2019/2020
Sustainable Forestry in Southern Sweden (SG0231-10166)
2019-09-02 - 2019-10-31
Academic year 2018/2019
Sustainable Forestry in Southern Sweden (SG0231-10089)
2018-09-03 - 2018-11-11
Syllabus and other information
Syllabus
SG0231 Sustainable Forestry in Southern Sweden, 15.0 Credits
Uthålligt skogsbruk i södra SverigeSubjects
Forest Science BiologyEducation cycle
Master’s levelModules
| Title | Credits | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Exam | 5.0 | 0302 |
| Sustainable forestry | 10.0 | 0303 |
Advanced study in the main field
Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirementsMaster’s level (A1N)
Grading scale
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.
Language
EnglishPrior knowledge
The equivalent of 120 credits at basic level including- 60 credits Forest Science or
- 60 credits Forest Management or
- 60 credits Biology or
- 60 credits Environmental Sciences or
- 60 credits Landscape Architecture or
- 60 credits Agricultural Sciences or
- 60 credits Natural Resource Management
and
- English 6
Objectives
The course will provide an overview of key theoretical and practical elements for sustainable forestry in southern Sweden. Silvicultural questions associated with contemporary forestry will be studied in depth and discussed in relation to sustainability issues.
After completing the course the students should be able to:
Analyse and present important processes in forest ecosystems and their interactions with growth responses on both tree and stand level.
Analyse variations in forest management due to differences in tree species, management traditions, owner objectives, economic circumstances and social needs and preferences.
Discuss and evaluate management measures in relation to ecological and plant physiological factors.
Identify the most significant conservation values in the boreal and boreo-nemoral zones of southern Scandinavia and analyse the impact of modern forestry on these values and suggest measures to mitigate adverse effects
Read scientific literature and communicate key ideas, results and conclusions
Manage forest data and produce introductory statistics and figures.
Content
The main objective is that students should get an understanding of why modern forestry is conducted as it is, in relation to silvicultural research, nature conservation issues, societal needs, current forest technology and the wood market. The course contains two major parts, silviculture and forest ecology.
The course starts with a module where forest production and management is discussed on the basis of ecophysiological processes and correlations, to obtain an in-depth understanding of how forest production could be measured, estimated and modelled. The next module focuses on how forest ecosystems and management systems could be evaluated with regard to ecological resilience or economy. Differences regarding stand dynamics, succession and biodiversity will also be discussed. The third and main module of the course takes on issues of regeneration, stand development and production from four perspectives; clearcut management, continuous cover forestry, management in mixed forests and multiple use forestry.
Students engage in different learning activities including lectures, seminars, individual assignments group works, exercises and excursions. Statistical data treatment and analysis will be performed with supervision from teacher and on an introductory level. For many of the students, both Swedish and international, the course is the first on master level and the first course held in English, why some emphasis in teacher response will be on increasing the skills in presentations in written and spoken English.
Representatives from authorities and practical forestry in southern Sweden are invited to speak about urgent matters in forestry and about their view on future threats and opportunities. Thanks to the international student group, comparisons and discussions about differences and similarities in forestry between countries are frequent and constantly brought up during the course. Mandatory in the course is a field trip to two of the forest research units in southern Sweden.
Grading form
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.Formats and requirements for examination
Successful completion of the course requires pass grades in all written examinations and participation in compulsory subjects.
The grading criteria state what is required for different grades and what aspects of performance are assessed.
- If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.
- The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.
- If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.
- For the examination of a degree project (independent project), the examiner may also allow the student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Other information
The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.
If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Additional information
In total nine days are spent in the field including visits to SLU’s experimental forests in Tönnersjöheden and Asa.A student who has been admitted to and registered on a course is entitled to receive teaching only for the course date he/she was admitted to. A student who for special reasons is unable to participate in compulsory elements, is entitled an opportunity to recover those elements during a course given at a later date. More information is available in the regulations for education.
SLU is environmentally certified according to ISO 14001. A large part of our courses cover knowledge and skills that contribute positively to the environment. To further strengthen this, we have specific environmental goals for the education. Students are welcome to suggest actions regarding the course’s content and implementation that lead to improvements for the environment. For more information, see webpage www.slu.se.
Further details on the course topics and learning activities are provided in detailed syllabus that can be obtained from the course leader.
Responsible department
Department of Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre
Further information
Litterature list
- _ Kommentar: All literature will be available on the Canvas course portal or as online literature through the SLU library service.
- Waring, R., J. Landsberg and S. Linder (2016). "Tamm Review: Insights gained from light use and leaf growth efficiency indices." Forest Ecology and Management 379: 232-242. 1) Bergh, J., S. Linder, T. Lundmark and B. Elfving (1999). "The effect of water and nutrient availability on the productivity of Norway spruce in northern and southern Sweden." Forest Ecology and Management 119(1-3): 51-62 1) Binkley, D., O. C. Campoe, M. Gspaltl and D. I. Forrester (2013). "Light absorption and use efficiency in forests: Why patterns differ for trees and stands." Forest Ecology and Management 288: 5-13. 1) Binkley, D., J. P. Laclau and H. Sterba (2013). "Why one tree grows faster than another: Patterns of light use and light use efficiency at the scale of individual trees and stands." Forest Ecology and Management 288: 1-4 1) Skovsgaard, J. P. and J. K. Vanclay (2008). "Forest site productivity: a review of the evolution of dendrometric concepts for even-aged stands." Forestry 81(1): 13-31. 1) Hennigar, C., A. Weiskittel, H. L. Allen and D. A. MacLean (2017). "Development and evaluation of a biomass increment based index for site productivity." Canadian Journal of Forest Research 47(3): 400-410. 1) Kelty, M. J. (1992). Compare productivity of monocultures and mixed-species stands. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publ. 1) Pommerening, A. and S. T. Murphy (2004). "A review of the history, definitions and methods of continuous cover forestry with special attention to afforestation and restocking." Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research 77(1): 27-44. 1) Lundqvist, L. (2017). "Tamm Review: Selection system reduces long-term volume growth in Fennoscandic uneven-aged Norway spruce forests." Forest Ecology and Management 391: 362-375. 1) Gustafsson, L., et al. (2020). "Retention as an integrated biodiversity conservation approach for continuous-cover forestry in Europe." Ambio 49(1): 85-97. 1) Growing plantation forestry Författare: P.W. West ISBN: 9783319018263 [Growing plantation forestry] (https://slu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46SLUB_INST/kl53n/springer_s978-3-319-01827-0_129010) Kommentar: Selected chapters and sections
- Kuuluvainen, T. (2009). "Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation Based on Natural Ecosystem Dynamics in Northern Europe: The Complexity Challenge." Ambio 38(6): 309-315. 1) Gustafsson, L., J. Kouki and A. Sverdrup-Thygeson (2010). "Tree retention as a conservation measure in clear-cut forests of northern Europe: a review of ecological consequences." Scand J For Res 25. 1) Gustafsson, L., et al. (2020). "Research on retention forestry in Northern Europe." Ecological Processes 9(1). 1) Petersson, L., E. Holmström, M. Lindbladh and A. Felton (2019). "Tree species impact on understory vegetation: Vascular plant communities of Scots pine and Norway spruce managed stands in northern Europe." Forest Ecology and Management 448: 330-345. 1) Biological diversity: frontiers in measurement and assessment. Författare: A.E. Magurran ISBN: 1-283-58016-0 [Biological diversity: frontiers in measurement and assessment.] (https://slu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46SLUB_INST/1sl36d2/alma9919271342605121) Kommentar: Selected chapters and sections
- Forest management and planning Författare: P. Bettinger ISBN: 0-12-809706-X [Forest management and planning] (https://slu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46SLUB_INST/1sl36d2/alma9919359656905121) Kommentar: Chapter 4
- Managing Forest Ecosystems: The Challenge of Climate Change. Författare: F. Bravo ISBN: 1-281-49357-0 [Managing Forest Ecosystems: The Challenge of Climate Change. ] (https://slu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46SLUB_INST/1sl36d2/alma9919279787805121) Kommentar: Chapter: A Mechanistic View of the Capacity of Forests to Cope with Climate Change
- Statistics: An Introduction using R Författare: R. Crawley ISBN: 9781118941119 (ebook) [Statistics: An Introduction using R] (https://slu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46SLUB_INST/1sl36d2/alma9919290193805121) Kommentar: Selected sections in combination with R labs.
- Rist, L., et al. (2014). "Applying resilience thinking to production ecosystems." Ecosphere 5(6). 1) Felton, A., et al. (2016). "How climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies can threaten or enhance the biodiversity of production forests: Insights from Sweden." Biological Conservation 194: 11-20. 1) Simonsson, P., L. Gustafsson and L. Ostlund (2015). "Retention forestry in Sweden: driving forces, debate and implementation 1968-2003." Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 30(2): 154-173.