Mixed forests reduce the risk of forest damage in a warmer climate

by Sara-Lena Brännström, Umeå University
November 20, 2024

Fungi, insects, fires and cervids, such as moose, are examples of natural factors behind tree damages in Swedish forests. Sometimes, the damages become so extensive that they impact the function of forest ecosystems, not least the ability of forests to provide wood and other tree products.

“In a warmer climate with more extreme weather and new pest organisms, and with a more intense forestry, forest damages are expected to become more common and more severe. It is therefore important to understand causes of forest damages and whether it can be prevented,” says researcher Micael Jonsson at Umeå University, who led the study.

The Swedish national forest inventory has collected extensive data from Swedish forests. Since 2003, data on forest damages have also been collected.

In the current study, the research group has analyzed 15 years of these data from all over Sweden, to investigate which damages are most common and which factors determine the risk of a tree becoming damaged. The study is more extensive both in time and geographically than previous studies.

Keep reading: https://www.umu.se/en/news/mixed-forests-reduce-the-risk-of-forest-damage-in-a-warmer-climate_12003407

Read the Ecosphere paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.70071