Forest management planning

• Main Author: Wilhelmsson, Erik
• Format: Report
• Language: Swedish; English
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: Forest Science; Northern Sweden
• Online Access: https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/9159/; https://pub.epsilon.slu.se/9159/1/Arbetsrapport_202.pdf

1. Short background about Swedish forestry The forest covers 55 % of the total land area in Sweden. The forest area is 28 million ha according to FAO´s definition. According to the national definition (potential yield higher than 1 m3sk/ha and year) the area is 23 mill ha, of which 0.95 mill is formally protected from timber production, and another 1.850 mill ha are voluntarily set aside by the forest owner (Skogsstyrelsen 2007). Half of the forest is owned by 410 000 private persons owing 254 000 holdings. The average holding size is app. 50 ha. Private forest companies has 25%, and other owners 25% (the state, communes, the church, others). The privately owned proportion is higher in southern then in northern Sweden. Most private forest owners have other sources of income for their living. Of the owners 38% are women, and 37% do not live close to the holding (Swedish Forest Agency 2006). Timber production is and has been since long the main use for most of the forest. Sweden is sparsely populated. Nine million people means 2 ha of forest an average, even if the population in clustered. Biodiversity, recreation, carbon sequestration, hunting, berries and mushrooms are important uses. Also, and growing, is the use of wood for production of energy. Reindeer herding occurs in the northern parts of Sweden. Data about the forests are gathered for different purposes and by different organizations. The forest owners which focus on timber production