https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/organisation/collaborative-centres/slu-forest-damage-centre/news-about-forest-damage/ Scots pine blister rust is spreading in the pine forests of northern Sweden and Finland. Researchers now see a link between the disease and climate factors such as temperature, precipitation, soil moisture and fertility—and that the disease may increase further in a warmer climate. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2026/02/scots-pine-blister-rust-is-increasing-in-the-north--here-are-the-factors-that-associate-with-the-risk/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2026/02/scots-pine-blister-rust-is-increasing-in-the-north--here-are-the-factors-that-associate-with-the-risk/ Fri, 27 Feb 2026 10:30:22 +0100 Climate projections indicate that large parts of southern Sweden may become unsuitable for spruce by the end of this century. But the current management trends are moving in the opposite direction: spruce volume is increasing. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2026/02/allt-mer-gran-pa-olampliga-omraden/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2026/02/allt-mer-gran-pa-olampliga-omraden/ Tue, 17 Feb 2026 14:25:42 +0100 How does spruce defend itself against pathogenic fungi? And can this information contribute to future breeding programmes? Isak Ingerholt, a doctoral student at SLU Forest Damage Centre's research school, aims to find answers to these questions. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2026/02/he-wants-to-lay-the-foundation-for-tomorrows-resistant-spruce-trees/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2026/02/he-wants-to-lay-the-foundation-for-tomorrows-resistant-spruce-trees/ Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:03:00 +0100 SLU Forest Damage Centre has expanded its capabilities with Sweden’s first co-aligned VNIR–SWIR–LiDAR hyperspectral drone system for advanced forest stress detection. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/11/ny-hyperspektral-dronare-tar-overvakningen-av-tradens-stress-till-en-ny-niva/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/11/ny-hyperspektral-dronare-tar-overvakningen-av-tradens-stress-till-en-ny-niva/ Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:20:36 +0100 For the first time, researchers have detected spruce bark beetle infestations from the air at a very early stage, when the infestation has only affected one side of the tree trunk. The infestations are revealed by light reflections from the needles. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/11/nya-upptackten-sa-kan-angrepp-av-granbarkborre-upptackas-tidigt-fran-luften/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/11/nya-upptackten-sa-kan-angrepp-av-granbarkborre-upptackas-tidigt-fran-luften/ Wed, 12 Nov 2025 10:00:11 +0100 Most moose prefer to stay in young forests and mixed forests with a high proportion of deciduous trees. But they want to be far away from the nearest road. This is shown by a study from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), which has mapped moose movements for over 20 years. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/11/how-moose-choose-to-move-in-forest-landscapes-avoiding-areas-close-to-roads/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/11/how-moose-choose-to-move-in-forest-landscapes-avoiding-areas-close-to-roads/ Mon, 10 Nov 2025 08:31:12 +0100 On 16–17 October 2025, 50 participants from 16 countries attended the “EABRACE Workshop – First Year of Baltic Co-partners’ Experience” held at the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/11/working-together-against-the-emerald-ash-borer--researchers-and-authorities-met-in-krakow/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/11/working-together-against-the-emerald-ash-borer--researchers-and-authorities-met-in-krakow/ Mon, 03 Nov 2025 13:52:24 +0100 For the first time, there is now a map showing where the forage for deer and moose is located. The maps, produced by researchers at SLU, shows where key tree species for ungulates are found and how much is at grazing height. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/10/heres-where-moose-and-deer-find-their-food--slu-releases-unique-map/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/10/heres-where-moose-and-deer-find-their-food--slu-releases-unique-map/ Mon, 27 Oct 2025 07:52:06 +0100 The spruce tree’s own genes determine how well it resists root rot – and the outcome of the battle against the fungus is decided already in the early stages of infection. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/10/spruces-genes-determine-the-spread-of-the-root-rot/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/10/spruces-genes-determine-the-spread-of-the-root-rot/ Thu, 16 Oct 2025 08:33:47 +0100 What increases or limits wildfire likelihood and its severity? That’s what PhD student Sara Jones is trying to find out. She hopes that a better understanding of wildfires can help us manage forest in ways that that reduce risk. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/09/shes-fighting-fire-with-data/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/09/shes-fighting-fire-with-data/ Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:42:31 +0100 Wildfires are vital for regrowth in boreal forests. But where does the nitrogen these recovering forests use actually come from? A new study on wildfire recovery sites across the boreal biome led by SLU, shows that the source of this vital nutrient largely lacks explanation. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/09/unknown-sources-fuel-boreal-forests-with-nitrogen-real-surprising/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/09/unknown-sources-fuel-boreal-forests-with-nitrogen-real-surprising/ Fri, 12 Sep 2025 10:41:46 +0100 Teresa López-Andújar Fustel is SLU Forest Damage Centre's newest addition - she takes on the role of analyst in the field of wind and snow. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2024/12/slu-forest-damage-centre-expands-with-new-analyst/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2024/12/slu-forest-damage-centre-expands-with-new-analyst/ Tue, 19 Aug 2025 08:01:07 +0100 Increasing landscape heterogeneity by reducing forest stand size and diversifying tree species lowers the likelihood of fire spreading. Avoiding ditching is also beneficial. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/08/Forest-management-can-reduce-the-risk-of-large-wildfires/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/08/Forest-management-can-reduce-the-risk-of-large-wildfires/ Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:58:09 +0100 Meet Fabio Carrer, a PhD student at the SLU Forest Damage research school. With a background in mathematics, he wants to develop statistical methods and make data collection on forest damage more cost-effective. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/02/he-aims-to-develop-innovative-and-cost-effective-ways-to-monitor-forest-damage/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/02/he-aims-to-develop-innovative-and-cost-effective-ways-to-monitor-forest-damage/ Thu, 03 Jul 2025 14:04:35 +0100 Researchers have developed new methods that will make it easier, faster, and more accurate to determine which form of Scots pine blister rust has affected a tree. This is important for choosing the right management method, reducing the spread of damage and for resistance breeding. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/07/molecular-markers-to-identify-harmful-rust-fungus/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/07/molecular-markers-to-identify-harmful-rust-fungus/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 15:36:22 +0100 The SLU Forest Damage Centre announces a call focused on forest damage with the explicit purpose of strengthening research on the effects of multiple interconnected forest damage agents, i.e. interrelated complex relationships involving different forest damage agents. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/07/call-for-project-focussing-on-the-effects-of-interrelated-forest-damage-factors/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/07/call-for-project-focussing-on-the-effects-of-interrelated-forest-damage-factors/ Tue, 01 Jul 2025 09:16:45 +0100 Trees exposed to drought emit sounds – and with the help of microphones, researchers can now listen in as their water transport systems begin to fail. A new study from SLU shows that ultrasound from the forest can reveal whether trees are suffering from permanent drought damage. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/06/microphones-reveal-when-trees-suffer-from-drought-stress/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/06/microphones-reveal-when-trees-suffer-from-drought-stress/ Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:38:57 +0100 How are moose movement patterns affected by our managed forests? This is what PhD student Desirée Guidobaldi Stenbacka is trying to find out and hopes that this understanding can support a more sustainable coexistence between moose and forestry. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/06/she-maps-the-movement-of-moose-in-the-managed-forest-landscape/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/06/she-maps-the-movement-of-moose-in-the-managed-forest-landscape/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:24:09 +0100 Over 30 attendees of the 14th Conference of the European Foundation for Plant Pathology in Uppsala took part in an excursion to Morga hage nature reserve and a nearby pine forest, organized by the SLU Forest Damage Centre. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/06/from-ancient-oaks-to-forest-pathogens-conference-excursion-highlights-biodiversity-challenges/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/06/from-ancient-oaks-to-forest-pathogens-conference-excursion-highlights-biodiversity-challenges/ Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:22:47 +0100 An integrated risk management strategy for Europe, adaptations to face more intense fires, longer fire seasons and increased risks in fire-prone areas were discussed among researchers, policy makers and practitioners in Brussels. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/06/need-for-an-integrated-risk-management-strategy-for-forest-fires-in-the-eu/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/06/need-for-an-integrated-risk-management-strategy-for-forest-fires-in-the-eu/ Mon, 02 Jun 2025 11:07:16 +0100 The SLU Forest Damage Centre announces a call with focus on monitoring of forest damage. The call is for short-term monitoring projects that focus on method development and will be carried out in 2026 or until early 2027. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/05/call-for-short-term-monitoring-projects/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/05/call-for-short-term-monitoring-projects/ Fri, 23 May 2025 13:07:26 +0100 In her doctoral thesis, Matilda Stein Åslund has studied genetic and environmental factors that affect diseases in conifers. This is an important step toward preserving our forests in the ongoing climate change. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/05/healthy-forests-in-a-changing-climate--the-path-to-resilient-conifers/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/05/healthy-forests-in-a-changing-climate--the-path-to-resilient-conifers/ Mon, 12 May 2025 15:43:13 +0100 Meet Beatrice Tolio, PhD student at SLU Forest Damage Research School. She wants to develope a resistent population of European ash to the fungal pathogen causing ash dieback. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/04/she-fighting-for-european-ash/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/04/she-fighting-for-european-ash/ Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:59:16 +0100 By gaining deeper insight into exactly how fire spreads in the forest, forestry professionals can improve fire risk forecasts—and burn more forest for conservation purposes. “We want to use fire as a tool in forestry,” says Igor Drobyshev, researcher at SLU. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/04/forskare-tamjer-elden-for-att-kunna-branna-skog-med-precision/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/04/forskare-tamjer-elden-for-att-kunna-branna-skog-med-precision/ Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:00:44 +0100 Three years of war in Ukraine has caused damages to approximately 240,000 hectares of forest land in southern and eastern Ukraine. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/03/severe-war-damage-to-ukranian-forests/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/03/severe-war-damage-to-ukranian-forests/ Mon, 31 Mar 2025 18:29:36 +0100 In a new study, SLU researchers has investigated if the fungal disease pine twisting rust makes the pines more susceptible to Diplodia tip blight. https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/08/severe-pine-twisting-rust-in-scots-pine-increases-the-probability-of-diplodia-tip-blight/ https://www.slu.se/en/news/2025/08/severe-pine-twisting-rust-in-scots-pine-increases-the-probability-of-diplodia-tip-blight/ Mon, 11 Nov 2024 14:30:00 +0100