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Research article2017Peer reviewedOpen access

The introduction of modern forest management and clear-cutting in Sweden: Ridö State Forest 1832–2014

Lundmark, Hanna; Josefsson, Torbjorn; Ostlund, Lars

Abstract

The effects of clear-cutting and potential alternatives continue to be hot topics during discussions of forestry and nature conservation. This study presents forest data from Ridon, an island in Lake Malaren in central Sweden, where forest management and clear-cutting have been applied for almost 200 years. The main objective of the study was to identify changes in forest management and forest conditions over time. The forest transition in Sweden during the 1800s is also covered, and the importance of early forest experiments is discussed, exemplified by Ridon. This study is based on eight forest management plans and maps, from 1832 to 2014. Our results show a transformation from large, continuous areas of heterogeneous forest to small homogeneous stands. Clear-cutting has been the main logging method applied to Ridon for almost 200 years, which is in contrast with the general historical trend of selective cutting preceding clear-cutting in the Nordic countries. Our analysis shows that forestry has changed from the exploitation of resources to sustainable management. Currently, forest management at Ridon aims to create a nature reserve characterized by uneven-aged forest with an increased deciduous component. Hence, the intention is to obtain a forest similar to as it was in 1832. By analyzing spatially precise data on forest stands over long periods and in relation to contemporary silvicultural methods, it is possible to discern the impact of forest management, to understand the drivers of the long-term changes in managed forest, and it also allows for a more educated discussion on today's forest management.

Keywords

Forest history; Historical records; Selective cutting; Nature conservation; Sustainable forest management

Published in

European Journal of Forest Research
2017, Volume: 136, number: 2, pages: 269-285

      SLU Authors

        • Associated SLU-program

        SLU Future Forests

        Sustainable Development Goals

        Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
        Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Forest Science
        Ecology

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-017-1027-6

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/80172