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Bioenergy is expected to contribute to mitigating climate change. One major source for bioenergy is woody biomass from forests, including logging residues, stumps, and whole trees from young dense stands. However, at increased extraction rates of woody biomass, the forest ecosystem, its biodiversity, and its ability to contribute to fundamental ecosystem services will be affected. We used simulation and optimization techniques to assess the impact of different management strategies on the supply of bioenergy and the trade-offs between wood fuel harvesting, biodiversity, and three other ecosystem services—reindeer husbandry, carbon storage, and recreation. The projections covered 100 years and a forest area of 3 million ha in northern Sweden. We found that the development of novel and cost-effective management systems for biomass outtake from young dense stands may provide options for a significant supply of bioenergy to the emerging bioeconomy, while at the same time securing biodiversity and important ecosystem values in future stand developments. In addition, there is potential to increase the extraction of harvest residues and stumps while simultaneously improving conditions for biodiversity and the amount of carbon stored in forest ecosystems compared to current levels. However, the projected continuing trend of increased forest density (in terms of basal area) has a negative impact on the potential for reindeer husbandry and recreation, which calls for researching new management strategies on landscape levels.
Jeannette Eggers; Ylva Melin; Johanna Lundström; Dan Bergström; Karin Öhman. Management Strategies for Wood Fuel Harvesting—Trade-Offs with Biodiversity and Forest Ecosystem Services. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1 .
AMA StyleJeannette Eggers, Ylva Melin, Johanna Lundström, Dan Bergström, Karin Öhman. Management Strategies for Wood Fuel Harvesting—Trade-Offs with Biodiversity and Forest Ecosystem Services. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (10):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJeannette Eggers; Ylva Melin; Johanna Lundström; Dan Bergström; Karin Öhman. 2020. "Management Strategies for Wood Fuel Harvesting—Trade-Offs with Biodiversity and Forest Ecosystem Services." Sustainability 12, no. 10: 1.
Large-scale decline in populations of European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) are occurring throughout Europe due to the invasive fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. This has grave ecological implications not only for ash trees, but also for the biodiversity supported by, and in some cases solely dependent on ash. Here we used data on the tree-species associations of biodiversity in Sweden, to predict extinction risks for ash-associated organisms, and the potential for combinations of other tree species to sustain ash-associated biodiversity. Of the 483 ash-associated species identified, 11% are exclusive to ash, and a further 23% prefer mainly ash. Notably, many ash-associated species are shared with wych elm (Ulmus glabra) which is similarly threatened by an invasive fungus. Considering the level of host association and the species' conservation status, 115 species were deemed at high risk of regional extinction. Using a mathematical optimization model we found that up to nine additional tree species would be needed to sustain all non-obligate ash dependent/preferring species in the absence of ash and elm. We discuss mitigation and adaption options to reduce the potential for an extinction cascade and conserve ash-associated biodiversity, but all pose unique challenges.
Tove Hultberg; Jonas Sandström; Adam Felton; Karin Öhman; Jonas Rönnberg; Johanna Witzell; Michelle Cleary. Ash dieback risks an extinction cascade. Biological Conservation 2020, 244, 108516 .
AMA StyleTove Hultberg, Jonas Sandström, Adam Felton, Karin Öhman, Jonas Rönnberg, Johanna Witzell, Michelle Cleary. Ash dieback risks an extinction cascade. Biological Conservation. 2020; 244 ():108516.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTove Hultberg; Jonas Sandström; Adam Felton; Karin Öhman; Jonas Rönnberg; Johanna Witzell; Michelle Cleary. 2020. "Ash dieback risks an extinction cascade." Biological Conservation 244, no. : 108516.
Research Highlights: We show the difference in the long-term effects on economic and ecological forest values between four forest management scenarios of a large representative forest landscape. The scenarios were largely formulated by stakeholders representing the main views on how to manage north-European forests. Background and Objectives: Views on how to balance forest management between wood production and biodiversity differ widely between different stakeholder groups. We aim to show the long-term consequences of stakeholder-defined management scenarios, in terms of ecological and economic forest values. Materials and Methods: We simulated management scenarios for a forest landscape in Sweden, based on the management objectives and strategies of key stakeholders. We specifically investigated the difference in economic forest values coupled to wood supply and ecological indicators coupled to structural biodiversity between the scenarios over a 100-year period. The indicators were net present value, harvest, growing stock and increment, along with deadwood volume, the density of large trees, area of old forests and mature broadleaf-rich forests. Results: We show that the scenarios have widely different outcomes in terms of the studied indicators, and that differences in indicator outcome were largely due to different distributions in management regimes, i.e., the proportion of forest left unmanaged or under even-aged management or continuous cover forest, as well as specific retention practices. Retention and continuous cover forestry mitigate the negative effects that clear-cut forestry has upon biodiversity. Conclusions: We found that an increase in the forest area under the continuous cover forestry regime could be a cost-efficient way to increase structural diversity in managed boreal forests. On the other hand, no single management regime performed best with respect to all indicators, which means that a mixture of several management regimes is needed to balance conflicting objectives. We also show that the trade-off between economic and ecological indicators was not directly proportional, meaning that an increase in structural biodiversity may be obtained at a proportionally low cost with appropriate management planning.
Jeannette Eggers; Minna Räty; Karin Öhman; Tord Snäll. How Well Do Stakeholder-Defined Forest Management Scenarios Balance Economic and Ecological Forest Values? Forests 2020, 11, 86 .
AMA StyleJeannette Eggers, Minna Räty, Karin Öhman, Tord Snäll. How Well Do Stakeholder-Defined Forest Management Scenarios Balance Economic and Ecological Forest Values? Forests. 2020; 11 (1):86.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJeannette Eggers; Minna Räty; Karin Öhman; Tord Snäll. 2020. "How Well Do Stakeholder-Defined Forest Management Scenarios Balance Economic and Ecological Forest Values?" Forests 11, no. 1: 86.
Jeannette Eggers; Sara Holmgren; Eva-Maria Nordström; Tomas Lämås; Torgny Lind; Karin Öhman. Balancing different forest values: Evaluation of forest management scenarios in a multi-criteria decision analysis framework. Forest Policy and Economics 2019, 103, 55 -69.
AMA StyleJeannette Eggers, Sara Holmgren, Eva-Maria Nordström, Tomas Lämås, Torgny Lind, Karin Öhman. Balancing different forest values: Evaluation of forest management scenarios in a multi-criteria decision analysis framework. Forest Policy and Economics. 2019; 103 ():55-69.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJeannette Eggers; Sara Holmgren; Eva-Maria Nordström; Tomas Lämås; Torgny Lind; Karin Öhman. 2019. "Balancing different forest values: Evaluation of forest management scenarios in a multi-criteria decision analysis framework." Forest Policy and Economics 103, no. : 55-69.
Although many forested landscapes are used for both wood production and outdoor recreation, intensive forest management can negatively impact the recreational value of forests, including in Sweden, a country with rich forest resources and a strong forest industry. In Sweden, urbanization has increased the importance of, and demand for, urban and peri-urban recreational green areas such as forests. It is the responsibility of the local government – i.e., the municipalities – to provide a good living environment for its inhabitants, including recreational areas. However, most of the forest areas in Sweden are owned by private individuals and companies, which have a large degree of freedom in their forest management decisions. Municipalities can make formal agreements with forest owners to protect forests with high recreational values, but this requires financial resources, which are often scarce. Thus, tools are needed to identify the forest areas that should be prioritized for the use of forest management strategies that maintain or increase the recreational value of forests. In this study, we elaborate an approach that balances economic and recreational forest values within a forest decision support system (DSS) and test the approach for a case study area in southern Sweden. The recreation model included in the forest DSS links locational aspects, such as population density and proximity to water, with forest structure aspects, which are simulated over time under different management strategies. Our results suggest that the model could be useful for more efficient planning of the recreational potential of forests at the landscape level. The results from the case study indicate that substantial increases in the recreational value of a forest landscape can be achieved with relatively small overall economic losses, for example, by extending rotation periods in forests close to densely populated areas.
Jeannette Eggers; Anders Lindhagen; Torgny Lind; Tomas Lämås; Karin Öhman. Balancing landscape-level forest management between recreation and wood production. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 2018, 33, 1 -11.
AMA StyleJeannette Eggers, Anders Lindhagen, Torgny Lind, Tomas Lämås, Karin Öhman. Balancing landscape-level forest management between recreation and wood production. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 2018; 33 ():1-11.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJeannette Eggers; Anders Lindhagen; Torgny Lind; Tomas Lämås; Karin Öhman. 2018. "Balancing landscape-level forest management between recreation and wood production." Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 33, no. : 1-11.
We evaluated the long-term implications from modifying rotation lengths in production forests for four forest-reliant species with different habitat requirements. By combining simulations of forest development with habitat models, and accounting both for stand and landscape scale influences, we projected habitat availability over 150 years in a large Swedish landscape, using rotation lengths which are longer (+22% and +50%) and shorter (-22%) compared to current practices. In terms of mean habitat availability through time, species requiring older forest were affected positively by extended rotations, and negatively by shortened rotations. For example, the mean habitat area for the treecreeper Certhia familiaris (a bird preferring forest with larger trees) increased by 31% when rotations were increased by 22%, at a 5% cost to net present value (NPV) and a 7% decrease in harvested volume. Extending rotation lengths by 50% provided more habitat for this species compared to a 22% extension, but at a much higher marginal cost. In contrast, the beetle Hadreule elongatula, which is dependent on sun-exposed dead wood, benefited from shortened rather than prolonged rotations. Due to an uneven distribution of stand-ages within the landscape, the relative amounts of habitat provided by different rotation length scenarios for a given species were not always consistent through time during the simulation period. If implemented as a conservation measure, prolonging rotations will require long-term strategic planning to avoid future bottlenecks in habitat availability, and will need to be accompanied by complementary measures accounting for the diversity of habitats necessary for the conservation of forest biodiversity.
Jean-Michel Roberge; Karin Öhman; Tomas Lämås; Adam Felton; Thomas Ranius; Tomas Lundmark; Annika Nordin. Modified forest rotation lengths: Long-term effects on landscape-scale habitat availability for specialized species. Journal of Environmental Management 2018, 210, 1 -9.
AMA StyleJean-Michel Roberge, Karin Öhman, Tomas Lämås, Adam Felton, Thomas Ranius, Tomas Lundmark, Annika Nordin. Modified forest rotation lengths: Long-term effects on landscape-scale habitat availability for specialized species. Journal of Environmental Management. 2018; 210 ():1-9.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJean-Michel Roberge; Karin Öhman; Tomas Lämås; Adam Felton; Thomas Ranius; Tomas Lundmark; Annika Nordin. 2018. "Modified forest rotation lengths: Long-term effects on landscape-scale habitat availability for specialized species." Journal of Environmental Management 210, no. : 1-9.
Increased awareness of the connection between forest management activities and negative effects on water quality means that forestry needs to consider its potential impact on the aquatic environment when planning operations. Protective buffer zones are effective, but their design can vary. To be able to incorporate up-to-date scientific theory into practical applications easy-to-use planning tools are needed. In this study, we evaluate different buffer zone alternatives by using the freely available decision support system Heureka. The consequences on both economic and ecological values over a time period of 100 years were evaluated for two buffer zone approaches and three management alternatives within the buffer zones. Results indicated that there is a trade-off between economic and ecological values when managing the buffer zones. To be able to perform the analyses within Heureka, a new tool was developed. This software development provides access to a forest planning tool that can help improve nature conservation.
Johanna Lundström; Karin Öhman; Hjalmar Laudon. Comparing buffer zone alternatives in forest planning using a decision support system. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 2018, 33, 493 -501.
AMA StyleJohanna Lundström, Karin Öhman, Hjalmar Laudon. Comparing buffer zone alternatives in forest planning using a decision support system. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research. 2018; 33 (5):493-501.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohanna Lundström; Karin Öhman; Hjalmar Laudon. 2018. "Comparing buffer zone alternatives in forest planning using a decision support system." Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 33, no. 5: 493-501.
In forest management planning, participatory planning processes are often encouraged as a means to acquire relevant information and to enhance the stakeholders' acceptability of alternative plans. This requires the aggregation of the stakeholders' preferences that can be done in a wide variety of manners. The aggregation process strives to reduce the information into a single set of preferences that simplifies the information and allows for the use of discrete decision support tools. Depending on how the preferences are aggregated, a wide range of plan rankings can emerge. Although this range of ranking complicates the issue of plan selection, it does highlight the uncertainty involved in aggregating stakeholder preferences. In this study, we suggest an alternative method of deriving rankings for a set of alternative management options. Our proposed method suggests treating acquired preferences as the uncertain elements of a stochastic programming problem and the results provide the decision maker with the acceptability probability for each plan. The method is illustrated with a case of pairwise comparisons from a set of stakeholders representing preferences from different interest groups in a community planning process.
Kyle Eyvindson; Karin Öhman; Eva-Maria Nordström. Using uncertain preferential information from stakeholders to assess the acceptability of alternative forest management plans. Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis 2017, 25, 43 -52.
AMA StyleKyle Eyvindson, Karin Öhman, Eva-Maria Nordström. Using uncertain preferential information from stakeholders to assess the acceptability of alternative forest management plans. Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis. 2017; 25 (1-2):43-52.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKyle Eyvindson; Karin Öhman; Eva-Maria Nordström. 2017. "Using uncertain preferential information from stakeholders to assess the acceptability of alternative forest management plans." Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis 25, no. 1-2: 43-52.
Olof Stjernström; Rein Ahas; Sabina Bergstén; Jeannette Eggers; Hando Hain; Svante Karlsson; E. Carina H. Keskitalo; Tomas Lämås; Örjan Pettersson; Per Sandström; Karin Öhman. Multi-level Planning and Conflicting Interests in the Forest Landscape. Globalisation and Change in Forest Ownership and Forest Use 2017, 225 -259.
AMA StyleOlof Stjernström, Rein Ahas, Sabina Bergstén, Jeannette Eggers, Hando Hain, Svante Karlsson, E. Carina H. Keskitalo, Tomas Lämås, Örjan Pettersson, Per Sandström, Karin Öhman. Multi-level Planning and Conflicting Interests in the Forest Landscape. Globalisation and Change in Forest Ownership and Forest Use. 2017; ():225-259.
Chicago/Turabian StyleOlof Stjernström; Rein Ahas; Sabina Bergstén; Jeannette Eggers; Hando Hain; Svante Karlsson; E. Carina H. Keskitalo; Tomas Lämås; Örjan Pettersson; Per Sandström; Karin Öhman. 2017. "Multi-level Planning and Conflicting Interests in the Forest Landscape." Globalisation and Change in Forest Ownership and Forest Use , no. : 225-259.
Alexandra Langner; Florian Irauschek; Susana Perez; Marta Pardos; Tzvetan Zlatanov; Karin Öhman; Eva-Maria Nordström; Manfred J. Lexer. Value-based ecosystem service trade-offs in multi-objective management in European mountain forests. Ecosystem Services 2017, 26, 245 -257.
AMA StyleAlexandra Langner, Florian Irauschek, Susana Perez, Marta Pardos, Tzvetan Zlatanov, Karin Öhman, Eva-Maria Nordström, Manfred J. Lexer. Value-based ecosystem service trade-offs in multi-objective management in European mountain forests. Ecosystem Services. 2017; 26 ():245-257.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlexandra Langner; Florian Irauschek; Susana Perez; Marta Pardos; Tzvetan Zlatanov; Karin Öhman; Eva-Maria Nordström; Manfred J. Lexer. 2017. "Value-based ecosystem service trade-offs in multi-objective management in European mountain forests." Ecosystem Services 26, no. : 245-257.
A variety of modeling approaches can be used to project the future development of forest systems, and help to assess the implications of different management alternatives for biodiversity and ecosystem services. This diversity of approaches does however present both an opportunity and an obstacle for those trying to decide which modeling technique to apply, and interpreting the management implications of model output. Furthermore, the breadth of issues relevant to addressing key questions related to forest ecology, conservation biology, silviculture, economics, requires insights stemming from a number of distinct scientific disciplines. As forest planners, conservation ecologists, ecological economists and silviculturalists, experienced with modeling trade-offs and synergies between biodiversity and wood biomass production, we identified fifteen key considerations relevant to assessing the pros and cons of alternative modeling approaches. Specifically we identified key considerations linked to study question formulation, modeling forest dynamics, forest processes, study landscapes, spatial and temporal aspects, and the key response metrics - biodiversity and wood biomass production, as well as dealing with trade-offs and uncertainties. We also provide illustrative examples from the modeling literature stemming from the key considerations assessed. We use our findings to reiterate the need for explicitly addressing and conveying the limitations and uncertainties of any modeling approach taken, and the need for interdisciplinary research efforts when addressing the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of environmental resources.
Adam Felton; Thomas Ranius; Jean-Michel Roberge; Karin Öhman; Tomas Lämås; Jari Hynynen; Artti Juutinen; Mikko Mönkkönen; Urban Nilsson; Tomas Lundmark; Annika Nordin. Projecting biodiversity and wood production in future forest landscapes: 15 key modeling considerations. Journal of Environmental Management 2017, 197, 404 -414.
AMA StyleAdam Felton, Thomas Ranius, Jean-Michel Roberge, Karin Öhman, Tomas Lämås, Jari Hynynen, Artti Juutinen, Mikko Mönkkönen, Urban Nilsson, Tomas Lundmark, Annika Nordin. Projecting biodiversity and wood production in future forest landscapes: 15 key modeling considerations. Journal of Environmental Management. 2017; 197 ():404-414.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAdam Felton; Thomas Ranius; Jean-Michel Roberge; Karin Öhman; Tomas Lämås; Jari Hynynen; Artti Juutinen; Mikko Mönkkönen; Urban Nilsson; Tomas Lundmark; Annika Nordin. 2017. "Projecting biodiversity and wood production in future forest landscapes: 15 key modeling considerations." Journal of Environmental Management 197, no. : 404-414.
Reindeer husbandry and commercial forestry seek to co-exist in the forests of Northern Sweden. As interwoven as the two industries are, conflicts have arisen. Forest practices have reduced the distribution of lichen, the main winter diet for reindeer. Forest practices have also increased forest density, compromising the animals’ ability to pass through forested areas on their migration routes. In an attempt to reduce impacts on reindeer husbandry, we present a spatially explicit harvest scheduling model that includes reindeer corridors with user-defined spatial characteristics. We illustrate the model in a case study and explore the relationship between timber revenues and the selection and maintenance of reindeer corridors. The corridors are not only to include sufficient lichen habitat, but they are also supposed to ensure access for reindeer by connecting lichen areas with linkages that allow unobstructed travel. Since harvest scheduling occurs over a planning horizon, the spatial configuration of corridors can change from one time period to the next in order to accommodate harvesting activities. Our results suggest that maintaining reindeer corridors in harvest scheduling can be done at minimal cost. Also, we conclude that including corridor constraints in the harvest scheduling model is critical to guarantee connectivity of reindeer pastures.
Rachel St John; Karin Öhman; Sándor F. Tóth; Per Sandström; Anu Korosuo; Ljusk Ola Eriksson. Combining spatiotemporal corridor design for reindeer migration with harvest scheduling in Northern Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 2016, 31, 655 -663.
AMA StyleRachel St John, Karin Öhman, Sándor F. Tóth, Per Sandström, Anu Korosuo, Ljusk Ola Eriksson. Combining spatiotemporal corridor design for reindeer migration with harvest scheduling in Northern Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research. 2016; 31 (7):655-663.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRachel St John; Karin Öhman; Sándor F. Tóth; Per Sandström; Anu Korosuo; Ljusk Ola Eriksson. 2016. "Combining spatiotemporal corridor design for reindeer migration with harvest scheduling in Northern Sweden." Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 31, no. 7: 655-663.
Long-term forest management planning often involves several stakeholders with conflicting objectives, creating a complex decision process. Multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) presents a promising framework for finding solutions in terms of suitable trade-offs among the objectives. However, many of the MCDA methods that have been implemented in forest management planning can only be used to compare and evaluate a limited number of management plans, which increases the risk that the most suitable plan is not included in the decision process. The aim of this study is to test whether the combination of two MCDA methods can facilitate the evaluation of a large number of strategic forest management plans in a situation with multiple objectives and several stakeholders. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to set weights for objectives based on stakeholder preferences and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was used to produce an overall ranking of alternatives. This approach was applied to a case study of the Vilhelmina municipality, northern Sweden. The results show that the combination of AHP and TOPSIS is easy to implement in participatory forest planning and takes advantage of the capacity of forest decision support systems to create a wide array of management plans. This increases the possibility that the most suitable plan for all stakeholders will be identified.
Hilma Nilsson; Eva-Maria Nordström; Karin Öhman. Decision Support for Participatory Forest Planning Using AHP and TOPSIS. Forests 2016, 7, 100 .
AMA StyleHilma Nilsson, Eva-Maria Nordström, Karin Öhman. Decision Support for Participatory Forest Planning Using AHP and TOPSIS. Forests. 2016; 7 (12):100.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHilma Nilsson; Eva-Maria Nordström; Karin Öhman. 2016. "Decision Support for Participatory Forest Planning Using AHP and TOPSIS." Forests 7, no. 12: 100.
Traditional approaches aiming at protecting surface waters from the negative impacts of forestry often focus on retaining fixed width buffer zones around waterways. While this method is relatively simple to design and implement, it has been criticized for ignoring the spatial heterogeneity of biogeochemical processes and biodiversity in the riparian zone. Alternatively, a variable width buffer zone adapted to site-specific hydrological conditions has been suggested to improve the protection of biogeochemical and ecological functions of the riparian zone. However, little is known about the monetary value of maintaining hydrologically adapted buffer zones compared to the traditionally used fixed width ones. In this study, we created a hydrologically adapted buffer zone by identifying wet areas and groundwater discharge hotspots in the riparian zone. The opportunity cost of the hydrologically adapted riparian buffer zones was then compared to that of the fixed width zones in a meso-scale boreal catchment to determine the most economical option of designing riparian buffers. The results show that hydrologically adapted buffer zones were cheaper per hectare than the fixed width ones when comparing the total cost. This was because the hydrologically adapted buffers included more wetlands and low productive forest areas than the fixed widths. As such, the hydrologically adapted buffer zones allows more effective protection of the parts of the riparian zones that are ecologically and biogeochemically important and more sensitive to disturbances without forest landowners incurring any additional cost than fixed width buffers.
T. Tiwari; Johanna Lundström; L. Kuglerová; Hjalmar Laudon; Karin Öhman; Anneli Ågren. Cost of riparian buffer zones: A comparison of hydrologically adapted site-specific riparian buffers with traditional fixed widths. Water Resources Research 2016, 52, 1056 -1069.
AMA StyleT. Tiwari, Johanna Lundström, L. Kuglerová, Hjalmar Laudon, Karin Öhman, Anneli Ågren. Cost of riparian buffer zones: A comparison of hydrologically adapted site-specific riparian buffers with traditional fixed widths. Water Resources Research. 2016; 52 (2):1056-1069.
Chicago/Turabian StyleT. Tiwari; Johanna Lundström; L. Kuglerová; Hjalmar Laudon; Karin Öhman; Anneli Ågren. 2016. "Cost of riparian buffer zones: A comparison of hydrologically adapted site-specific riparian buffers with traditional fixed widths." Water Resources Research 52, no. 2: 1056-1069.
A rich structural diversity in forests promotes biodiversity. Forests are dynamic and therefore it is crucial to consider future structural potential when selecting reserves, to make robust conservation decisions. We analyzed forests in boreal Sweden based on 17,599 National Forest Inventory (NFI) plots with the main aim to understand how effectiveness of reserves depends on the time dimension in the selection process, specifically by considering future structural diversity. In the study both the economic value and future values of 15 structural variables were simulated during a 100 year period. To get a net present structural value (NPSV), a single value covering both current and future values, we used four discounting alternatives: (1) only considering present values, (2) giving equal importance to values in each of the 100 years within the planning horizon, (3) applying an annual discount rate considering the risk that values could be lost, and (4) only considering the values in year 100. The four alternatives were evaluated in a reserve selection model under budget-constrained and area-constrained selections. When selecting young forests higher structural richness could be reached at a quarter of the cost over almost twice the area in a budget-constrained selection compared to an area-constrained selection. Our results point to the importance of considering future structural diversity in the selection of forest reserves and not as is done currently to base the selection on existing values. Targeting future values increases structural diversity and implies a relatively lower cost. Further, our results show that a re-orientation from old to young forests would imply savings while offering a more extensive reserve network with high structural qualities in the future. However, caution must be raised against a drastic reorientation of the current old-forest strategy since remnants of ancient forests will need to be prioritized due to their role for disturbance-sensitive species.
Johanna Lundström; Karin Öhman; Mikael Rönnqvist; Lena Gustafsson. Considering Future Potential Regarding Structural Diversity in Selection of Forest Reserves. PLOS ONE 2016, 11, e0148960 .
AMA StyleJohanna Lundström, Karin Öhman, Mikael Rönnqvist, Lena Gustafsson. Considering Future Potential Regarding Structural Diversity in Selection of Forest Reserves. PLOS ONE. 2016; 11 (2):e0148960.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohanna Lundström; Karin Öhman; Mikael Rönnqvist; Lena Gustafsson. 2016. "Considering Future Potential Regarding Structural Diversity in Selection of Forest Reserves." PLOS ONE 11, no. 2: e0148960.
Julia Carlsson; Ola Eriksson; Karin Öhman; Eva-Maria Nordström. Combining scientific and stakeholder knowledge in future scenario development — A forest landscape case study in northern Sweden. Forest Policy and Economics 2015, 61, 122 -134.
AMA StyleJulia Carlsson, Ola Eriksson, Karin Öhman, Eva-Maria Nordström. Combining scientific and stakeholder knowledge in future scenario development — A forest landscape case study in northern Sweden. Forest Policy and Economics. 2015; 61 ():122-134.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJulia Carlsson; Ola Eriksson; Karin Öhman; Eva-Maria Nordström. 2015. "Combining scientific and stakeholder knowledge in future scenario development — A forest landscape case study in northern Sweden." Forest Policy and Economics 61, no. : 122-134.
In this study, we assessed the effect of a diverse ownership structure with different management strategies within and between owner categories in long-term projections of economic, ecological and social forest sustainability indicators, representing important ecosystem services, for two contrasting Swedish municipalities. This was done by comparing two scenarios: one where the diversity of management strategies was accounted for (Diverse) and one where it was not (Simple). The Diverse scenario resulted in a 14% lower total harvested volume for the 100 year period compared to the Simple scenario, which resulted in a higher growing stock and a more favorable development of the ecological indicators. The higher proportion of sparse forests and the lower proportion of clear-felled sites made the Diverse scenario more appropriate for delivering access to common outdoor recreation activities, while the Simple scenario projected more job opportunities. Differences between the scenarios were considerable already in the medium term (after 20 years of simulation). Our results highlight the importance of accounting for the variety of management strategies employed by forest owners in medium- to long-term projections of the development of forest sustainability indicators.
Jeannette Eggers; Hampus Holmström; Tomas Lämås; Torgny Lind; Karin Öhman. Accounting for a Diverse Forest Ownership Structure in Projections of Forest Sustainability Indicators. Forests 2015, 6, 4001 -4033.
AMA StyleJeannette Eggers, Hampus Holmström, Tomas Lämås, Torgny Lind, Karin Öhman. Accounting for a Diverse Forest Ownership Structure in Projections of Forest Sustainability Indicators. Forests. 2015; 6 (12):4001-4033.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJeannette Eggers; Hampus Holmström; Tomas Lämås; Torgny Lind; Karin Öhman. 2015. "Accounting for a Diverse Forest Ownership Structure in Projections of Forest Sustainability Indicators." Forests 6, no. 12: 4001-4033.
Anu Korosuo; Tero Heinonen; Karin Öhman; Hampus Holmström; Ljusk Ola Eriksson. Spatial Optimization in Forest Planning Using Different Fragmentation Measures. Forest Science 2014, 60, 764 -775.
AMA StyleAnu Korosuo, Tero Heinonen, Karin Öhman, Hampus Holmström, Ljusk Ola Eriksson. Spatial Optimization in Forest Planning Using Different Fragmentation Measures. Forest Science. 2014; 60 (4):764-775.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAnu Korosuo; Tero Heinonen; Karin Öhman; Hampus Holmström; Ljusk Ola Eriksson. 2014. "Spatial Optimization in Forest Planning Using Different Fragmentation Measures." Forest Science 60, no. 4: 764-775.
Half of the productive forest area in Sweden is owned by small-scale private forest owners. However, there is a lack of comprehensive information that would allow categorizing small-scale private forest owners according to their management strategy. In this study, we surveyed small-scale private forest owners in Sweden to determine the proportions who applied various management strategies. We analyzed the results using chi-square tests to identify the most relevant factors affecting the management strategy choices of individual forest owners. We found that “soft” factors, such as the importance of income from the forest, membership in a forest owners’ association, certification and an interest in and knowledge of forestry issues, had a stronger impact on the choice of management strategy than most “hard” factors related to the owner or the property, such as gender and distance between the owner’s residence and the property. However, property size was the most important factor and was associated with the importance of income derived from the forest and several other soft factors.
Jeannette Eggers; Tomas Lämås; Torgny Lind; Karin Öhman. Factors Influencing the Choice of Management Strategy among Small-Scale Private Forest Owners in Sweden. Forests 2014, 5, 1695 -1716.
AMA StyleJeannette Eggers, Tomas Lämås, Torgny Lind, Karin Öhman. Factors Influencing the Choice of Management Strategy among Small-Scale Private Forest Owners in Sweden. Forests. 2014; 5 (7):1695-1716.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJeannette Eggers; Tomas Lämås; Torgny Lind; Karin Öhman. 2014. "Factors Influencing the Choice of Management Strategy among Small-Scale Private Forest Owners in Sweden." Forests 5, no. 7: 1695-1716.
It is important to consider the preferences of the various stakeholders involved when evaluating effective reserve selection, since it is largely their preferences that determine which of a given set of potential reserve networks that actually is “the best”. We interviewed eight conservation planners working at the county administrative boards in each of the eight administrative counties covering boreal Sweden to establish weightings for different structural biodiversity indicators by using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The subjective weightings were applied in a reserve selection model based on a goal programming (GP) approach. The structural indicators were derived from the Swedish National Forest Inventory (NFI) and used as proxy for biodiversity potential. A biodiversity indicator score, based on the values of those indicators, was maximized. The model adjusted this score ensuring that all indicators were represented in the selection, and further also adjusted the influence of the indicators based on the subjective weightings. We evaluated the GP approach by comparing it to a simple linear programming (LP) formulation, only maximizing the indicator richness. In all cases the model was limited either by a budget or an area. The biodiversity potential in young forests are often neglected within present conservation policies, however, the proportion of selected forest under 15years was relatively high in all our cost-effective cases, varying between 32% and 60% using the individual planners subjective weightings, compared to 80% when using a simple LP model. The proportion of selected forest over 100years varied between 69% and 85% in the area-effective cases using the subjective weightings, compared to 80% when using a simple LP model. Middle-aged forest was not favored in any of the selections, although they make up a substantial part of the total area. We conclude that there are differences in how conservation planners prioritize the indicators, and depending on how specific biodiversity indicators are weighted the age distribution of the selected reserves differs. This demonstrates the importance of considering how to establish appropriate weightings. It is also important to consider the, at least in our case, substantial difference in how common the different indicators are to ensure that the weightings get their intended impact on the selections
Johanna Lundström; Karin Öhman; Mikael Rönnqvist; Lena Gustafsson. How reserve selection is affected by preferences in Swedish boreal forests. Forest Policy and Economics 2014, 41, 40 -50.
AMA StyleJohanna Lundström, Karin Öhman, Mikael Rönnqvist, Lena Gustafsson. How reserve selection is affected by preferences in Swedish boreal forests. Forest Policy and Economics. 2014; 41 ():40-50.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJohanna Lundström; Karin Öhman; Mikael Rönnqvist; Lena Gustafsson. 2014. "How reserve selection is affected by preferences in Swedish boreal forests." Forest Policy and Economics 41, no. : 40-50.