9 May 2025 | Article
A new study in Earth’s Future explores how different forest management strategies will shape the climate resilience of Swedish forests through the 21st century. Using advanced modelling, the researchers compared three approaches: business-as-usual forestry, set-aside (no management), and climate-adapted management.
This conventional approach—focused on timber production—leads to high productivity in the short term. However, the study shows that over time, forests managed this way are more vulnerable to climate-related stressors like storms and droughts, especially in southern Sweden. Carbon storage potential also plateaus earlier than in other scenarios.
Allowing forests to grow undisturbed increases biodiversity and long-term carbon sequestration. However, this only works optimally for old-growth forests, which make up only a small portion of the total forest area. For production forests, a passive strategy without management plan, may lead to denser, older forests that become increasingly vulnerable to windthrow and pests. Without thinning or management, these stands may store more carbon but at greater ecological risk under climate change.
This forward-looking strategy includes species diversification, extended rotation periods, and reduced clear-cutting. The model suggests that this approach strikes the best balance for production forests—moderate timber yield, strong carbon uptake, and greater resilience to disturbances. It was especially effective in buffering future climate impacts across all regions of Sweden.
The study makes one point clear: how we manage forests now will determine their strength as carbon sinks and climate buffers in the decades ahead. Adaptive forestry, tailored to a warming world, may be an important key to climate-smart land use.
Link to the full study:
Funderar du på hur du kan minska ditt företags klimatavtryck? Kontakta oss så berättar vi mer om fightCOtwo.
Wolves helping the forest, and salmon climbing trees — how is that possible? The answer lies in a hidden world beneath our feet — in the extraordinary symbiosis between fungi and the plant kingdom, known as mycorrhiza.
The king of the forest is under threat. Sweden's moose population is in dramatic decline, yet browsing damage in forests remains a persistent issue. This reveals a fundamental imbalance in how we manage forestry, wildlife, and biodiversity. Today’s one-sided forestry model creates an unnecessary conflict of interest—where the moose becomes the scapegoat in a system shaped by human priorities.
This article is an excerpt from the report "The State of the Forest in Canada" and deals with the issue of substitution and how much of the forest that actually becomes long-lived products. How do you think Sweden compares?
