Management of young dense forests and harvesting of biomass for bioenergy while sustaining high biodiversity, social values and sustainability indexes

This project aims to

• solve some of current conflicts between forest owners and reindeer herders around young dense forest management goals on reindeer grazing lands,
• increase the potential of harvesting low value biomass in thinnings to supply society with bioenergy and
• increase knowledge of how precision management can contribute to reach sustainability goals.

The research objective is to study how thinning for many goals can be done in young dense stands at the same time as production goals of ground lichen and tree biomass is secured on stand level.

The project is interdisciplinary and is executed though research by and education of two doctoral students, supervised by researchers at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Umeå University in close cooperation with Sveaskog and Svenska Samers Riksförbund (Swedish National Association of Saami People). By educating two new doctors, arranging workshops, seminars and excursions we increase, and spread, interdisciplinary knowledge of forest management for many goals and its effects and potential.