Nora Sophie Pohl

The overall aim of my PhD project was to create guidelines for recruitment of young oak trees into the canopy in structurall diverse, mixed oak-dominated forests in southern Sweden using alternative forest management practices. At the same time, I also looked into conservation of large oak trees and their associated biodiversity through non-intensive forest management.

For two years (2023-2024), I was the Chairperson of the SHS Doctoral student council at the Forestry faculty.

My research aims to create knowledge for improving strategies against oak regeneration failure and gain insight into the role of stand structure and associated light availability on growth and canopy recruitment of natural oak regeneration. Furthermore, the project aims to analyse different stand structures and evaluate their relation to biodiversity in mixed oak forests.

Forest and Landscape Ecology (BSc), Broadleaves course (MSc), Forest regeneration course (MSc)

I studied Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology with a focus on Tropical and International Forestry (M.Sc.) at the University of Göttingen, Germany. My master thesis project assessed the influence of daylength on the budburst timing of seven temperate tree species and the interaction of Gypsy moth hatching and budburst in regards to potential mismatches. I conducted my MSc project through the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) in Birmensdorf, Switzerland. I conducted my BSc in Ecosystem Management through the University of Göttingen, Germany (2014-2017). During my study time, I collected data in different biogeographical regions (USA, Tenerife, Laos, Germany, Italy, Switzerland).

Peer-reviewed scientific publications in international journals

Pohl, N.S. 2026. Rekrytering av ek i kontinuitetskogsbruk. Ekbladet 41, s 20-23. artikel

Kyaw Thu, M., Pohl, N.S., Aldea, J., Löf, M. 2026. Effects of target diameter cutting on oak recruitment in a multilayered mixed conifer-broadleaved stand in southern Sweden. Forest Ecology and Management, 604:123519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123519

Pohl, N.S. 2026. Oaks under continuous cover forestry: recruitment challenges and biodiversity implications. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. https://doi.org/10.54612/a.3jm1o6aoal

Löf, M., Miles, B., Thu, M.K., Pohl, N.S., Schönbeck, L. 2025. Seeding of oak in southern Sweden. Reforesta, 21: 190-198. https://doi.org/10.21750/refor.21.10.140

Pohl, N.S., P.-O. Hedwall, J. Aldea, A.M. Felton, E.S. Gardiner, L. Muraro, B. Nordén, M. Löf. 2025. Effects of stand structural attributes on oak recruitment in mixed temperate forests. Forest Ecology and Management, 586:122721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122721

Vitasse, Y., Pohl, N., Walde, M.G., Nadel, H., Gossner, M.M., Baumgarten, F. 2024. Feasting on the ordinary or starving for the exceptional in a warming climate: Phenological synchrony between spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) and budburst of six European tree species. Ecology and Evolution, 14:e10928. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10928