Swedish forestry could benefit from maintaining a greater proportion of broadleaved species in the otherwise conifer-dominated stands, since greater species diversity may improve forest resilience to disturbances. Furthermore, the demand for Swedish roundwood is predicted to continue increasing, with many projects and studies now focused on hardwood utilization. Despite a growing interest in broadleaved tree species, in recent years the number of hardwood sawmills has been declining and there is limited information about their locations and capacity.

In this work, 21 hardwood sawmills were surveyed to identify mill locations and details about their log inputs. Questions related to species and volumes used, where raw material was sourced from, and what end products were manufactured. Additional questions were asked about their most significant threats and opportunities and their level of optimism regarding the future of hardwood sawmilling in Sweden.

Survey respondents mainly processed oak and birch, approximately 87,000 and 42,000 m³sub/year, respectively (combined totals for all sawmills). The beech, alder and ash volumes were in the 1,000s of m³sub/year. All the participating hardwood sawmills were located in southern and central Sweden. The sawmills produced a range of products, including sawn timber, flooring, tabletops, fine joinery, matches and toothpicks. Most of the birch volume was used for furniture components, while oak was widely used to restore or refurbish buildings and in public outdoor environments.

The surveyed sawmills were small and source most of their inputs from nearby suppliers. Few sawmills were importing raw materials, and where imports did occur, they were generally for oak. Common issues identified when importing wood included: unreliable wood quality, high transport costs and a desire to support local suppliers.

The sawmills were optimistic about their future and the Swedish hardwood sawmilling industry. As the mills are small, they have greater flexibility and can make decisions faster, which was perceived as a competitive advantage. Sweden has a continuing demand for hardwood timber, which may encourage forest managers to invest more in broadleaved tree species. 

Boreal forests, which account for one-third of the world’s forested areas, play a crucial role in global climate regulation and provide significant ecological, economic, and cultural benefits. However, boreal ecosystems face substantial threats from climate change, leading to increased disturbances such as wildfires, insect outbreaks, and disease. In response, reforestation emerges as a vital strategy for maintaining and restoring forest cover. In this perspective paper, we summarize some recent research on plantation establishment in boreal ecosystems of eastern North America and Scandinavia, emphasizing the effectiveness of mechanical site preparation (MSP), species-specific responses, and soil nutrient dynamics. We suggest key areas for future research, including the long-term sustainability of MSP, the development of adaptive strategies to climate variability, species-specific optimization of planting techniques, and integration of technological advances. Addressing these research needs will support the development of adaptive silviculture practices that enhance boreal stands resilience and productivity, helping to meet reforestation objectives and mitigate the impacts of climate change. We aim to stimulate regional, national, and international research initiatives, contributing to the resilience and sustainability of boreal ecosystems.

Successful forest regeneration is crucial for sustainable forest management. In boreal contexts, plantation forestry is notably used when natural regeneration is insufficient after harvesting or wildfires, but planted seedlings face various stresses on harvested sites, jeopardizing their survival and growth. Limited access to water, nutrients and light, plus exposure to pests, and diseases contribute to these stresses. Mechanical site preparation, disturbing the organic layer and upper mineral soil through techniques such as discing, mounding or inverting, is commonly used to mitigate post-planting stress. However, climate change, social interest in forest management, and the need to procure diverse ecosystem services require precise silviculture practices tailored to regional and local objectives. Our empirical research in boreal ecosystems of North America and Scandinavia reveals intricate interactions affecting seedling establishment after reforestation. For instance, in boreal Quebec, Canada, successful conifer seedling establishment depends on regional precipitation, temperature, and interactions with soil characteristics and microsite conditions. In Sweden, planting position within scarified sites significantly influences conifer seedling survival, but effects vary with soil moisture. Long-term silviculture studies also demonstrate the importance of early treatments for stand productivity. For example, mechanical site preparation significantly enhances seedling growth and survival, impacting sapling growth even after 18 years in boreal Quebec. We have observed that seedlings planted in scarified plots show improved water use efficiency compared to control plots. Also, we have shown that site preparation effects on standing volume and density persist for at least 30 years in Sweden. In conclusion, our empirical studies with Pinus and Picea species across multiple sites in Canada and Sweden highlight the absence of a universal solution for regeneration success in boreal ecosystems. Forest managers and decision-makers must recognize these complex interactions and support further international research collaborations. The success of large-scale forest landscape restoration and reforestation programs depends on implementing regionally tailored silviculture prescriptions based on an understanding of the mechanisms driving seedling responses.

This paper introduces an AI-based approach to detect human-made objects and changes in these on land parcels. To this end, we used binary image classification performed by a convolutional neural network. Binary classification requires the selection of a decision boundary, and we provided a deterministic method for this selection. Furthermore, we varied different parameters to improve the performance of our approach, leading to a true positive rate of 91.3% and a true negative rate of 63.0%. A specific application of our work supports the administration of agricultural land parcels eligible for subsidiaries. As a result of our findings, authorities could reduce the effort involved in the detection of human made changes by approximately 50%.

This study was conducted to explore measures taken by private forest owners in a region of southern Sweden to adapt forestry to climate change and the motivations behind these measures. Additionally, measures undertaken were compared with policy goals of the Swedish Forest Agency. Data were gathered through a questionnaire and interviews. The most common measure, mentioned by 72% (64) of respondents, is the choice of tree species, usually involving the replacement of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst) with Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) or deciduous tree species. Other significant measures are creating mixed forests and shortened rotation periods for Norway spruce. While forest owners have adopted several policy-aligned measures, they have not yet prioritized measures pertaining to forest roads, or specific social and environmental concerns such as avoiding clear-cutting in erosion-prone areas or creating dying trees. The most common motive for adapting forestry is to reduce the risk of damage. Communication activities of authorities and forestry advisors that start from forest owners’ multifunctional views and multiple motives for taking action could promote the development of climate-adapted forests. Highlighting the additional environmental and social values that are served by climate adaptation measures may further motivate forest owners.

In southern Sweden, private forest owners own about 80% of the productive forest land. Consequently, in this region, these owners significantly impact the provision of forest ecosystem services. We collected data through in-depth interviews with 23 private forest owners aiming to, from their perspectives, examine the potential to develop environmental and other values on private land and to examine existing barriers. The owners were 36-84 years old and owned 10-825 ha of productive forest. 26% of the owners were female. Collected data were analyzed with semantic content analysis resulting in themes. The study showed that there is a potential to provide ecosystem services on private land since 1) What matters most to forest owners in forest management and ownership was demonstrated in a diversity of factors, above all that relate to social and emotional dimensions, 2) Forest owners desired management included a range of management ideas that could bring a diversity of benefits and 3) Forest owners already carry out a variety of forestry measures that intentionally or unintentionally benefit environmentaland other values. The forest owners also perceived that there are barriers in forestry primarily related to financial aspects, rules, lack of time and forest estate site conditions. Some barriers could be reduced by financial incentives and by designing policy instruments that encourage forest owners' initiatives.

Private forest owners’ management decisions significantly impact the development of forest values in Sweden. This study explored the potential to develop environmental values on privately owned land in southern Sweden. Data were collected through interviews with 23 forest owners and analyzed with semantic  content analysis.  The interviewees  owned estates  of productive, predominantly coniferous forest ranging in size from 10–825 ha. They were aged 36–84, and 26% were female. Results showed that  there  is  considerable  potential  to  develop  environmental  values  on  private  land  since  1)  Forest owners   demonstrated   multi-functional   views   of   primarily   social   and   emotional   dimensions surrounding  forest  ownership,  and  the  mindset  of  combining  goals  enables  many  different  values to  be  developed,  2)  Desired  management  showed  numerous  ideas  that  could  bring  a  diversity  of benefits,  and  3)  Practical  management  included  various  production-favoring  measures,  but  even more   for   environmental,   social,   cultural,   and   emotional   purposes   that,   largely   unnoted,   bring environmental  conservation  benefits.  All  forest  owners  perceived  barriers  to  management  and ownership,  categorized  primarily  to  structural  or  surrounding  society  factors.  Financial  incentives, policies   encouraging   forest   owners’   initiatives,   an   adequate   supply   of   resources   and   sound management  advice  are  suggested  measures  to  reduce  barriers  and  facilitate  the  development  of environmental  values.

Adapting to site conditions is a central part of forest regeneration and can be done through selection of different planting positions. Requirements are tree species specific, and the use of soil moisture maps could be a way to support decision making in forest regeneration planning. At two experimental sites with varying soil moisture conditions in southern Sweden Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) seedlings were planted in four different planting positions following mounding site preparation; Depression, Hinge, Mound and Unscarified. Soil moisture estimates were obtained from a high-resolution depth-to-water raster for each planting spot. The effect of soil moisture, planting position and their interactions on mortality, height and diameter was evaluated for each tree species. In wet conditions mounds proved to be the best option to minimize seedling mortality for conifers, but with decreasing soil moisture, differences between the planting positions decreased. Birch on the other hand had the greatest survival in the hinge. The coniferous species displayed increased height and diameter when planted in mounds independent of the soil moisture conditions, whereas silver birch was less dependent on a specific planting position. Results from this study shows that a soil moisture map can explain mortality, height and diameter and thus can be a useful tool when choosing planting position in different soil moisture conditions.