Management of Boreal Forests Theories and Applications for Ecosystem Services

About this book

This comprehensive textbook explores the boreal forests of Northern Europe, Finland, Sweden and Norway. Students will gain an overview of the forest ecosystem and the services it provides for modern society. From the production of timber to the supply of food products or their use as a recreational space for human wellbeing – our forests serve many needs. Accordingly, the respective chapters cover various types of ecosystem services, e.g. supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural services.

The book's main focus is on the management of boreal forests for the production of these ecosystem services. Addressing modern challenges, e.g. managing vulnerable boreal forests for adaptation to climate change, is an important aspect throughout the volume. Traditional forest management has to adapt and evolve in order to meet the increasing risk of abiotic and biotic damages to our forest biomass. Future forestry graduates will have to face more and more of these challenges; consequently, the book provides them with a wealth of scientific know-how and possible counter-strategies.

Forestry students in the Northern Hemisphere, be it in Europe, North America or Asia, will find Management of Boreal Forests an excellent reference guide. To make the content more accessible, it has been enriched with a clear structure, numerous illustrations and learning objectives.

Contents

Preface
Chapter 1. Background - management of forest for varying ecosystem services

PART I: Forest environment of boreal north and forestry
Chapter 2. Environmental conditions, site types, and climate change

PART II: Structure and functioning of selected boreal trees
Chapter 3. Selected tree species of importance in boreal north
Chapter 4. Structure of selected trees
Chapter 5. Regeneration biology of selected trees
Chapter 6. Physiology, growth and acclimatizing of boreal trees to climate

PART III: Long-term dynamics of boreal forest ecosystem
Chapter 7. Successional dynamics of boreal forest ecosystem
Chapter 8. Management vs ecosystem dynamics

PART IV: Management strategies, regimes, and operations
Chapter 9. Preparation of site for natural regeneration and planting in reforestation
Chapter 10. Natural regeneration in management for regrowth
Chapter 11. Planting in management for regrowth
Chapter 12. Management of spacing in pre-commercial phase
Chapter 13. Management of spacing and thinning in commercial phase
Chapter 14. Fertilization in management of site fertility
Chapter 15. Pruning of branches and management of timber quality

PART V: Management of forest ecosystem for varying services
Chapter 16. Management strategies for producing different goods and services
Chapter 17. Dynamics of forest ecosystem vs ecosystem services
Chapter 18. Risks for forestry under current and warming climate
Chapter 19. Forest ecosystem services and management under climate change
Chapter 20. Adaptive management - outlines of theories and practices

Index
Appendix: Units and conversions

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Biography

The research career of Prof. Seppo Kellomäki has spanned from the early 1970s to today. His research activities deal mainly with the structure and functioning of boreal forests and sustainable management of boreal forests for varying ecosystem goods and services. His early studies had the focus on multiple uses of forest, and the management of Scots pine forest for high-quality timber. However, his main contribution to forest science deals with climate change impacts on the dynamics of the boreal forest ecosystem in the conditions where forests and forest-based industry are important for the welfare of society.  In this context, his focus has been on experimental studies on how elevated temperature, atmospheric carbon dioxide and changes in precipitation likely affect the physiology and growth of boreal tree species. These studies have provided a solid base for modelling. This has made it possible to understand how climate change likely affects the long-term dynamics of the boreal forest ecosystem and how climate change affects future forest management. The main questions have been how management should be used and developed for avoiding detrimental effects of successional dynamics and management of boreal forest ecosystem for different ecosystem services. Many of his research papers further address the problems of how forest management and forests should be adapted to climate warming in the boreal conditions, and how management might be used to mitigate warming.