As far as forestry is concerned, the effects of climate change are related primarily to problems with bearing capacity and winter roads, reduced accessibility if the spring flood cuts off roads, more harmful insects, more top rupture because of heavy, wet snow, and an increased risk of plants dying as a result of drought or frost. However there are also some advantages, for instance, an increase in forest growth.
Forestry includes both large-scale and small-scale operations in the areas mentioned below, and also the entrepreneurs who fell timber or do forest husbandry work. The interviewees within forestry, that were interviewed within the Balance and Formas projects, mainly came from forest companies, forest owners’ associations, representatives of forest commons, the National Property Board of Sweden, the Swedish Forest Agency and self-employed within forestry.
Forestry has always been an important industry in the areas even though small-scale forestry-linked businesses such as a sawmill are less common today. Because forests are normally felled when it is between about 60-90 years old, the forest planted today will grow and live in a changing climate. Generally speaking, an increase in average temperature is positive for forest growth but growth and quality can decline if changes in temperature and precipitation lead to summer drought, or heavy thawing snow; which damages branches. Different species of tree vary as regards how sensitive they are for e.g. drought. Extreme conditions such as storms or a major attack by insects could also be negative for forestry.
Case studies below
As the climate changes, so do the forest and the conditions for forestry. This demands an adaptation of forest management in order to minimize risks and create conditions for forests that will be healthy and resilient in the future. However, in a study of actors within Swedish forestry, the greatest obstacles to this appear to…