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Precision forestry allows decision-making on tree level or pixel level, as compared to stand-level data. However, little is known about the importance of precision in thinning decisions and its long-term effects on within-stand variation, stand economy and growth. In this study, silviculture was optimized for Net Present Value (NPV) in 20 conifer-dominated forest stands in hemi-boreal southern Sweden. The precision-thinning approach, Precision Thinning (PT), is compared with a stand-level approach, Stand Level Thinning (SLT) that is optimized for the same criteria but based on stand-level data. The results suggest no substantial long-term benefit or drawback in implementing thinning decisions based on pixel-level data as compared to stand-level data when optimizing stand economy. The result variables NPV and Mean annual increment of living stem volume (MAI(net)) were not higher for PT than for SLT. The within-stand variation in basal area (m(2)/ha(-1)) was lower at the end of the rotation compared to the start of the simulation for both SLT and PT. At the end of the rotation, SLT had higher variation in basal area compared to PT. However, pixel-level information enables adapting the silviculture to the within-stand variation which may favour other forest management goals than strictly financial goals.

Intensified forestry can be seen as a solution to climate change mitigation and securing energy supply, increasing the production of forest bioenergy feedstock as a substitution for fossil fuels. However, it may come with detrimental impacts on forest biodiversity, especially related to older forests. The aim of this study was to assess the sustainability of intensified forestry from climate-energy and biodiversity perspectives, targeting forest bird species. For this purpose, we applied the Landscape simulation and Ecological Assessment (LEcA) tool to the study area of Lithuania, having high ambitions for renewables and high forest biodiversity. With LEcA, we simulated forest growth and management for 100 years with two forest management strategies: Business As Usual (BAU) and Intensive forestry (INT), the latter with the purpose to fulfil renewable energy goals. With both strategies, the biomass yields increased well above the yields of the reference year, while the biodiversity indicators related to forest bird habitat to different degrees show the opposite, with lower levels than for the reference year. Furthermore, Strategy INT resulted in small-to-no benefits in the long run concerning potential biomass harvesting, while substantially affecting the biodiversity indicators negatively. The model results have the potential to inform policy and forest management planning concerning several sustainability goals simultaneously., QC 20210316

The demand for timber, bioenergy feedstock and other forest products, leading to intensified forest harvesting, is expected to increase in the coming decades. A reduction in the delivery of forest ecosystem services and, specifically, biodiversity, including the provision of habitats for mature-forest-dwelling raptors, has been attributed to the intensification of forest exploitation. Therefore, in order to adopt adequate conservation measures to create a timely buffer against the consequences of increased harvesting, it is critically important to understand how the availability of nesting habitats for protected species will fluctuate in the future landscape. In this study, using the LandSim tool, we modelled the dynamics of the forests and nesting habitat availability for the forest-nesting raptor, the lesser spotted eagle Clanga pomarina, for the next 50 years in eastern Lithuania, Central Europe. Our findings indicate that the share of forests available for final harvesting is expected to increase rapidly in the coming decades due to a large amount of forest stands reaching a mature age, if current forest management practices, despite them being considered as relatively conservative, are continued. As a consequence, the availability of nesting habitats will constantly decrease in nesting territories, as well as elsewhere in the landscape, in the coming decades. We suggest that species conservation strategies should not only incorporate directly targeted measures to protect nest sites from destruction and disturbance, but also, at the very least, preserve a sufficient amount of nesting habitats in areas inhabited by eagle pairs and, at best, at the landscape scale., QC 20210407

Forest management tends to intensify in many countries due to climate change mitigation, which require more forest bioenergy as substitution for fossil fuel. However, the intensified forestry may be detrimental to biodiversity, especially for species dependent on old forest habitat. In order to simultaneously assess production of forest bioenergy feedstock and habitat potential for biodiversity, we developed the Landscape simulation and Ecological Assessment (LEcA) tool, linking simulation of forest growth and management (LandSim), a yield calculator, and a habitat assessment model. The aim was to integrate production of forest bioenergy feedstock, industrial wood, and biodiversity tied to mature and old forest, in a sustainability assessment of forest bioenergy options. The study area was the country of Lithuania where two forest management scenarios were applied, business-as-usual (BAU) and intensive-forestry (INT). The landscape simulation was run for a 100 years period with 5 year time steps. Forest biodiversity was represented by area of old forest as well as nesting habitat for two model species, Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina) preferring forest edges, and Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) preferring interior forest. The results showed that forest bioenergy yields may be higher in the INT scenario during the first decades of the simulation period, but in the long run will only be slightly higher compared to the BAU scenario. However, the impacts on the habitat of the forest birds would be considerable, where the habitat area would be 14% smaller for C. pomarina and 17% smaller for C. nigra, in the INT scenario compared to BAU. The landscape simulation showed that there may be conflicts between sustainability objectives related to climate change mitigation and biodiversity, and that intensive forestry may not necessarily be an effective mitigation measure. The model results has potential to inform policy and planning concerning several sustainability aspects., QC 20190827

QC 20190821

Demands on forest bioenergy feedstock are expected to increase in many countries due to climate change mitigation. However, sustainable use of forest biomass resources can be ensured only if local and landscape conditions are taken into account, linking energy use to its resource base. The aim of this study was to analyse the forest biomass potential for Lithuania’s energy pathways, while comparing the projected demand of forest bioenergy feedstock with resource projections. This was performed using the Landscape simulation and Ecological Assessment (LEcA) tool and the energy model MESSAGE. Biomass demand can be met up to 2050, after which demands under a Biomass Low pathway can still be met by the domestic forest resource if other wood uses are reduced, while Biomass High leads to a biomass deficit regarding domestic forest resource. Information exchange between the energy model and the LEcA tool enables an integrated sustainability assessment, and may contribute to a sustainable and efficient use of forest as a bioenergy feedstock resource., QC 20190404

Demands on forest bioenergy feedstock are projected to increase in many countries due to climate change mitigation requiring renewable energy sources. However, national energy planning may need to be informed about local and landscape conditions in order to promote sustainable use of forest biomass resources as well as other ecosystem services. Therefore, integrated modelling of energy use and resource availability is called for. The aim of this study was to analyse the forest biomass potential for Lithuania for energy pathways, while comparing the projected use of forest bioenergy feedstock with available resources applying environmental restrictions. This was performed using the Landscape simulation and Ecological Assessment (LEcA) tool and the energy model MESSAGE, while discussing links between these in order to better connect energy planning on national and local levels. The results showed that under a Biomass-Low pathway and business-as-usual forest management, demands would be met up to 2050, while a Biomass-High pathway and more intensive forest management may lead to difficulties to meet the demands in the later end of the period. Linking the energy model with the LEcA tool enable iterations and information exchange for comparison between demand and supply, and may contribute to a sustainable and efficient use of forest as bioenergy feedstock resource.

QC 20180523

Forests are important for climate change mitigation by providing bioenergy feedstock to substitute fossil fuels, as well as for carbon storage, while they are also important for other ecosystem services. The REEEM project targets to gain a comprehensive understanding of the system-wide implications of energy strategies in support of transitions to a competitive low-carbon EU society. The current REEEM case study of Lithuania aims to i) analyse the forest biomass potential for Lithuania using the LEcA tool, assessing impacts on ecosystem services of alternative forest management strategies, and compare to energy pathways including forest bioenergy feedstock as a RES; and ii) develop and discuss linking between the energy assessment model that project the energy pathways, in this case the MESSAGE model, and the LEcA tool to enable iterations and information exchange. Two alternative pathways were run with the MESSAGE model of the use of forest bioenergy feedstock in the development of the Lithuanian energy sector, Biomass Low and Biomass High. This initiated the simulation of forest growth and management of Lithuania with the LEcA tool for 2015-2050 and beyond, applying a Business-As-Usual (BAU) forest management strategy. Based on these results, a second, more intensive (INT) forest management strategy was developed and applied in order to increase the yields. From the output of the simulations of both strategies, the development of five ecosystem services was assessed: forest bioenergy feedstock, industrial wood, carbon storage in the forest, recreation area and habitat supporting biodiversity. For bioenergy feedstock, environmental restrictions and transport distances for harvest residues were considered. In addition, different assumptions about the use of forest compartments for bioenergy purposes were tested. The estimations of bioenergy feedstock were comparable with the empirical data. However concerning logging residues, the transport distances affecting econo, QC 20180302

Forest biomass is a renewable resource that is increasingly utilised for bioenergy purposes in Sweden, which along with the extraction of industrial wood may conflict with biodiversity conservation. The aim of this paper is to present a method for integrated sustainability assessment of forest biomass extraction, particularly from bioenergy and biodiversity perspectives. The landscape simulator LandSim was developed and linked with models for the assessment of biomass yields and habitat networks representing prioritised biodiversity components. It was applied in a case study in Kronoberg County in southern Sweden. Forest growth and management were simulated for the period 2010-2110, following two land zoning scenarios, one applying even-aged forest management on all forest land except for protected areas (EAF-tot), and one applying continuous cover forest management on parts of the forest land, combined with protected areas and an intensified even-aged management on the other parts (CCF-int). The EAF-tot scenario implied higher yields of biomass feedstock for bioenergy, the CCF-int scenario only giving 66% of that yield, while the CCF-int scenario performed substantially better when it came to the habitat network indicators, if habitat suitability was ensured. Conclusively, the case study confirmed that the modelling framework of the LEcA tool, linking the landscape simulator LandSim with the biomass yield assessment and the habitat network model can be used for integrating main policy concerns when assessing renewable energy options., QC 20161214

QC 20170531

For forest sustainability and vulnerability assessment, the landscape scale is considered to be more and more relevant as the stand level approaches its known limitations. This review, which describes the main forest landscape simulation tools used in the 20 European case studies of the European project “Future-oriented integrated management of European forest landscapes” (INTEGRAL), gives an update on existing decision support tools to run landscape simulation from Mediterranean to boreal ecosystems. The main growth models and software available in Europe are described, and the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches are discussed. Trades-offs between input efforts and output are illustrated. Recommendations for the selection of a forest landscape simulator are given. The paper concludes by describing the need to have tools that are able to cope with climate change and the need to build more robust indicators for assessment of forest landscape sustainability and vulnerability.

QC 20161125

Being a large home products retailer IKEA uses around six and a half million cubic meters of wood annually in its products. IKEA has a wide range of suppliers in many countries all around the world. In 2007 IKEA launched a project introducing GIS into the company’s wood sourcing system. The present study was conducted during the summer and autumn of 2007 in collaboration with IKEA. Its aim was to investigate issues that had arisen in the course of the GIS project in the company, such as region of origin in wood tracing, availability of forest resource data on sub-country regional level. In addition, this study is to provide an insight into the systems future usage by building a sample database and testing essential functionality of the system by the means of ArcView 9.2 GIS software. A few examples of GIS in wood origin tracing and decision support systems in other companies were reviewed. Information on territorial divisions in place was collected for twelve countries selected for the study in order to investigate the wood origin region definition issue. The selected countries were: Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. In the next step, availability of forest resource data at the defined sub-country regional level was assessed for the same set of countries. Finally a sample database was built including IKEA’s forest tracing system data, acquired forest resource data for a sub-set of countries and spatial data for displaying features of countries, regions and sub-regions on the map. With the sample database and the GIS software programme, ArcView 9.2, practical execution of a few principal tasks was tested. Results revealed a pattern of multi-purpose territorial units in the countries covered by the study and possible approaches to the wood origin region definition issue. Furthermore, the results showed a limited availability of forest resource data on a sub-country regional level in t

The need to adapt to climate change as well as to secure the supply of energy has led to a shift in energy consumption from fossil fuel to renewables. In this context, forest biomass is a resource that is increasingly utilised for bioenergy purposes in Sweden, which along with the extraction of industrial wood may conflict with other sustainability goals such as those related to biodiversity conservation. In order to balance between main sustainability objectives, land zoning policies and related management regimes has been proposed, differentiating between the main management categories protected areas, multi-purpose forestry and intensive forestry. The aim of this project was to develop methods and tools for integrated sustainability assessment of forest biomass extraction, in particular from bioenergy and biodiversity perspectives. For this purpose, the landscape simulator LandSim was developed and applied in a case study in Kronoberg County in southern Sweden. Forest growth and management was simulated in 5-year time steps for the period 2010-2110. The management followed two land zoning scenarios, one applying even-aged forestry on all forest land except for protected areas (EAF-tot), and one was applying continuous cover forestry on parts of the forest land, combined with protected areas and a shorter rotation time on the other parts (CCF-int). The outcome of the simulations was raster data on tree species, volume and age for each time step and scenario. From the outcome, harvested volumes and bioenergy feedstock yields were derived. The same outcome was used for an ecological network assessment, using the indicator Equivalent Connected Area (ECA) for two model species tied to mature and old coniferous and southern broadleaved forest, respectively. The results showed that the EAF-tot scenario implied higher yields of biomass feedstock for bioenergy than the CCF-int scenario, while the CCF-int scenario displayed more even yields over the years. By contrast, the, QS 2016

QC 20171012