Sustainable Forest Management - Analysis and Adaptations
Information from the course leader
Welcome to the course! Schedule and literature will be available in Canvas. Important dates for travel planning are the mandatory excursion 17-20 November. Distance studies and winter holidays are between December 15 - January 9. Other mandatory tasks and schedule is available in the prelim schedule here and later on canvas.
This is not a beginners course in Silviculture so if you have no earlier classes in the subject I recommend you to start with the suggested pre-requisite literature.
Course evaluation
The course evaluation is not yet activated
The course evaluation is open between 2026-01-11 and 2026-02-01
Additional course evaluations for SV0060
Academic year 2024/2025
Sustainable Forest Management - Analysis and Adaptations (SV0060-20191)
2024-11-01 - 2025-01-19
Syllabus and other information
Syllabus
SV0060 Sustainable Forest Management - Analysis and Adaptations, 15.0 Credits
Hållbar skogsskötsel - analys och anpassningarSubjects
Forestry ScienceEducation cycle
Master’s levelModules
| Title | Credits | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Forest management adaptations | 8.0 | 0001 |
| Forest management analysis | 7.0 | 0002 |
Advanced study in the main field
Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirementsMaster’s level (A1N)
Grading scale
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.
Language
EnglishPrior knowledge
The equivalent of120 credits
60 credits within one of the following subjects/main fields of study
- forestry science
- forest science
- forest management
- biology
- environmental sciences
- natural resource management
English 6.
Objectives
The main objective is that students should get an understanding of why modern forestry is conducted as it is, as well as to provide an overview of key theoretical and practical elements for sustainable forestry in southern Sweden. Silvicultural questions associated with contemporary forestry will be studied in depth and discussed in relation to sustainability issues.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- analyse and present important processes in forest ecosystems and their interactions with growth responses on both tree and stand level
- analyse variations in forest management due to differences in tree species, management traditions, owner objectives, economic circumstances and social needs and preferences
- discuss and evaluate management measures in relation to ecological and plant physiological factors
- identify the most significant conservation values in the boreo-nemoral zone of southern Scandinavia and analyse the impact of modern forestry on these values and suggest measures to mitigate adverse effects
- read scientific literature and communicate key ideas, results and conclusions
- manage forest data and produce introductory statistics and figures.
Content
Contemporary forestry is discussed in the course, and put in relation to silvicultural research, nature conservation issues, societal needs, current forest technology and the wood market. The course contains two major parts, silviculture and forest ecology.
The course starts with a part where forest production and management is discussed on the basis of ecophysiological processes and correlations, to obtain an in-depth understanding of how forest production could be measured, estimated and modelled. The next part of the course focuses on how forest ecosystems and management systems could be evaluated with regard to ecological resilience or economy. Differences regarding stand dynamics, succession and biodiversity will also be discussed. The third and main part of the course takes on issues of regeneration, stand development and production from four perspectives; clearcut management, continuous cover forestry, management in mixed forests and multiple use forestry.
Comparisons and discussions about differences and similarities in forestry between countries are frequent and constantly brought up during the course.
To further student learning and promote discussion, a variety of methods are used:
Lectures, literature studies, exercises, written assignments, data lab sessions, seminars, study trips, field exercises, excursions, proficiency training, presentations.
Statistical data treatment and analysis will be performed with supervision from teachers and on an introductory level.
The course focuses on the following generic competencies:
Information competence, critical thinking and reflection, problem solving, scientific methods, digital competence, use of technology, oral and written communication, teamwork.
The following course components are compulsory:
Study trip, excursions, individual and group assignments as well as exercises and seminars.
Collaboration with the surrounding community takes place through inviting representatives from authorities and practical forestry in southern Sweden to speak about urgent matters in forestry and about their view on future threats and opportunities.
Grading form
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.Formats and requirements for examination
Passed written examinations.
Approved written exercises.
Completed compulsory components.
If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.
The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.
If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.
For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Other information
The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.
If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Additional information
Mandatory in the course is a study trip to forest field research stations in southern Sweden. In total nine days are spent in the field including visits to SLU’s experimental forests in Tönnersjöheden and Asa.Responsible department
Department of Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre
Further information
Litterature list
Course literature SV0060, 2025\
Sustainable Forest Management - Analysis and Adaptations
In this course the main part of literature that you will read and use will come from your own searching for scientific papers. The reading will be done mainly in four different modules
Sustainable forest management
Concepts of sustainable forestry, climate change adaptations, resilient forestry, closer to nature forest management.
Books, reports and book chapters:
Boreal Forests in the Face of Climate Change: Sustainable Management. Girona, M. M., et al., Eds. (2023)., Springer Nature. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-15988-6
**A Mechanistic View of the Capacity of Forests to Cope with Climate Change. **Bravo et al. Book chapter in the book Managing Forest Ecosystems: The Challenge of Climate Change. Managing Forest Ecosystems, vol 17. Springer, Dordrecht.
Resilient forest management. P.J. Burton. (2025). Oxford university press.
**Closer to Nature Forest Management. **Larsen et al. https://efi.int/publications-bank/closer-nature-forest-management
Continuous Cover Forestry in Boreal Nordic Countries. (2024)** **Springer https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70484-0
Articles especially for use in group work and assignments:
Rist et al. Applying resilience thinking to production ecosystems 2014
Felton et al. How climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies can threaten or enhance the biodiversity of production forests: Insights from Sweden 2016
Achim et al. The changing culture of silviculture 2021
Fernandez-Gimenez et al. Mobility in pastoral systems: Dynamic flux or downward trend? International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology 2006 Vol. 13 Issue 5 Pages 341-362
Dendrochronology and climate change
Literature regarding dendrochronology and how to use the techniques to understand climate and tree growth
Books, reports and book chapters:
Tree rings. Basics and Applications of Dendrochronology. Fritz Hans Schweingruber (2012) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1273-1 . Chapter 3-4
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Articles especially for use in group work and assignments:
Drobyshev et al. Multi-century reconstruction of fire activity in Northern European boreal forest suggests differences in regional fire regimes and their sensitivity to climate. Journal of Ecology. 2014
And literature provided in canvas.
Ecophysiology and forest management
Drivers of tree growth and stress responses in trees. What is ecophysiology and how can we use it in forest management? We will discuss the role of light, water, humidity and nutrients in driving tree growth, allometry, water and carbon dynamics. We discuss how they influence our management decisions. In the basis we discuss general processes that can be applied to a wide range of tree species, and we zoom in on the important tree species of Scandinavia in discussions and group work.
Books, reports and book chapters:
**Hirons & Thomas. **Applied tree biology: Chapter 6, 7 & 8 (other chapters prerequisite knowledge, see below) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-29639-1
**Rossi et al. **Chapter 9: Control over Growth in Cold Climates. In: Trees in a changing environment: Ecophysiology, Adaptation and Future Survival. Ed. Tausz & Grulke. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-94-017-9100-7
Articles especially for use in group work and assignments:
Aldea J, Dahlgren J, Holmström E, Löf M. 2024. Current and future drought vulnerability for three dominant boreal tree species. Global Change Biology 30: e17079. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17079
**Aussenac G. 2000. **Interactions between forest stands and microclimate: Ecophysiological aspects and consequences for silviculture. Annals of Forest Science 57: 287–301. https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2000119
Axelsson E, Axelsson B. 1986. Changes in carbon allocation patterns in spruce and pine trees following irrigation and fertilization. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2: 189–204. https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/2.1-2-3.189
Bergh J, Linder S, Lundmark T, Elfving B. 1999. The effect of water and nutrient availability on the productivity of Norway spruce in northern and southern Sweden. Forest Ecology and Management 119: 51–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(98)00509-X
Gessler A, Schaub M, McDowell NG. 2017. The role of nutrients in drought-induced tree mortality and recovery. New Phytologist 214: 513–520. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14340
Harvey JE, Smiljanić M, Scharnweber T, Buras A, Cedro A, Cruz-García R, Drobyshev I, Janecka K, Jansons
Kunert N, Hajek P, Hietz P, Morris H, Rosner S, Tholen D. 2021. Summer temperatures reach the thermal tolerance threshold of photosynthetic decline in temperate conifers. Plant Biology 24: 1254–1261. https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.13349
Matkala L, Kulmala L, Kolari P, Aurela M, Bäck J. 2021. Resilience of subarctic Scots pine and Norway spruce forests to extreme weather events. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 296: 108239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2020.108239
Svensson C, Bader MK-F, Fransson A-M, Alriksson C-G, Goude M, Bergh J. 2024. Norway spruce productivity in southern Sweden is equally limited by nitrogen and phosphorous. Forest Ecology and Management 572: 122192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2024.122192
Ward EJ, Domec J-C, Laviner MA, Fox TR, Sun G, McNulty S, King J, Noormets A. 2015. Fertilization intensifies drought stress: Water use and stomatal conductance of Pinus taeda in a midrotation fertilization and throughfall reduction experiment. Forest Ecology and Management 355: 72–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2015.04.009
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Statistics and analysis of forest experiments
Books, reports and book chapters:
OpenIntro Statistics David Diez, Mine Cetinkaya-Rundel and Christopher Barr.. Selected chapters in combination with R labs. Online pdf. https://leanpub.com/os
Statistics. An introduction using R. R. Crawley**. **ISBN: 9781118941119 (ebook). Note: Selected chapters in combination with R labs. https://slu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46SLUB_INST/1sl36d2/alma9919290193805121
Literature that we consider to be prerequisite knowledge
(Literature from previous courses at Euroforester master program or FLAP bachelor program, or similar literature)
Applied Tree Biology . Covering the biological and physiological principles behind the management. Hirons and Thomas
Growing plantation forestry. P.W. West., especially chapter 1-8. ISBN: 9783319018263. Available online with your SLU library account. https://slu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/46SLUB_INST/kl53n/springer_s978-3-319-01827-0_129010