Urban Nilsson

My current research interests are about how to manage Swedish forests for specific goals. Apart from management for maximized economic return, which I have been involved in during my entire research career, I am interested in forest management for increased biodiversity, increased recreational values and mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Examples of research areas are management of mixed species forests, combination of forest- and food production for moose and deer, continuous cover forestry, fast growing broadleaves and Scots pine in southern Sweden.
I am currently the leader of the centre of excellence for fast growing deciduous trees – Trees For Me. The overarching goal of Trees For Me is to ensure sustainable biomass production from fast-growing broadleaves with security and flexibility of supply and quality, while reducing target conflicts, and to ensure efficient and sustainable biorefinery value chains for wood-based feedstocks and fuel assortments. Trees For Me involve researchers from four Universities and one research institute. In the centre, 13 PhD-students are active, and the centre also include participation from 45 companies and other organisations in the Swedish forest sector.

1. Ara M., Felton A., Holmström E., Petersson L., Berglund M., Johansson U., Nilsson U. 2022. Pre-commercial thinning in Norway spruce-birch mixed stands can provide abundant forage for ungulates without losing volume production. Forest Ecology and Management. 520.

   2.      Ogana F N., Sjödin F., Holmström E., Fries C., Nilsson U. 2022. Effect of aspect-slope on the growth of coniferse in a harsh boreal climate of northwest Sweden. Forests 13, 301.

   3.      Liziniewicz M., Barbeito I., Zvirgzdins A., Stener L-G., Niemistö P., Fahlvik N., Johansson U., Karlsson B., Nilsson U. 2022. Production of genetically improved silver birch plantations in southern and central Sweden. Silva Fennica. 56.

   4.      Goude M., Nilsson U., Mason E., Vico G. 2022. Using hybrid modelling to predict basal area and evaluate effects of climate change on growth of Norway spruce and Scots pine stands. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research. DOI: 10.1080/02827581.2022.2039278

   5.      Appia Menza A., Holmström E., Nyström K., Nilsson U., 2022. Modelling potential yield in conifers using Swedish long-term experiments. Forest Ecology and Management. 512.

   6.      Ara, M., Barbeito, I., Kalén C., Nilsson U. 2021. Regeneration failure or Scots pine changes the species composition of young forests. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epub/10.1080/02827581.2021.2005133

   7.      Lula, M., Trubins, R., Ekö P-M., Johansson U., Nilsson U. 2021. Modelling effects of regeneration method on the growth and profitability of Scots pine stands. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research. DOI: 10.1080/02827581.2021.1908591

   8.      Ara M., Barbeito I., Elfving B., Johansson U., Nilsson U. 2021. Varying rectangular spacing yields no difference in forest growth and externa wood quality in coniferous forest plantations. Forest ecology and Management. 489

   9.      Appiah Mensah, A., Holmström, E., Petersson, H., Nyström, K., Mason E.G., Nilsson U. 2021. The millennium shift: Investigating the relationship between environment and growth trends of Norway spruce and Scots pine in northern Europe. Forest Ecology and Management. 481, 118727. 

   10.   Siipilehto, J,. Allen, M., Nilsson, U., Brunner, A., Huuskonen, S., Haikarainen, S., Subramanian, N., Antón-Fernándes, C., Holmström, E., Andreassen, K., Hynynen, J. 2020. Stand-level mortality models for Nordic boreal forests. Silva Fennica. 54.

   11.   Böhlenius, H., Nilsson, U., Salk, C. 2020. Liming increases early growth of poplars on forest sites with low soil pH. Biomass and Bioenergy. 138: 

   12.   Fransson, P., Franklin, O., Lindros O., Nilsson U. Brännström Å. 2020. A simulation-based approach to a near-optimal thinning strategy: allowing harvesting times to be determined for individual trees. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 50: 320-331.

   13.   Felton, Adam; Lofroth, Therese; Angelstam, Per; Gustafsson, Lena; Hjalten, Joakim; Felton, Annika M.; Simonsson, Per; Dahlberg, Anders; Lindbladh, Matts; Svensson, Johan; Nilsson, Urban; Lodin, Isak; Hedwall, P. O.; Stens, Anna; Lamas, Tomas; Brunet, Jorg; Kalen, Christer; Kristrom, Bengt; Gemmel, Pelle; Ranius, Thomas. 2020. Keeping pace with forestry: Multi-scale conservation in a changing production forest matrix. AMBIO. 49: 1050-1064 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01248-0 

   14.   Felton, A., Petersson L., Nilsson O., Wizell J., Cleary M., Felton A., Björkman C., Ode Sang Å., Jonsell M., Holmström E., Nilsson U., Rönnberg J., Kalén C., Lindbladh M. 2020. The tree species matters: Biodiversity and ecosystem service implications of replacing Scots pine production stands with Norway spruce. Ambio. 49:1035-1049.

   15.  Felton, Adam; Petersson, Lisa; Nilsson, Oscar; Witzell, Johanna; Cleary, Michelle; Felton, Annika M.; Bjorkman, Christer; Sang, Asa Ode; Jonsell, Mats; Holmstrom, Emma; Nilsson, Urban; Ronnberg, Jonas; Kalen, Christer; Lindbladh, Matts. 2019. The tree species matters: Biodiversity and ecosystem service implications of replacing Scots pine production stands with Norway spruce. AMBIO 49: 1035-1049, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01259 

   16.  Hjelm, K., Nilsson, U., Johansson, U. & Nordin P. 2019. Effects of mechanical site preparation and slash removal on long-term productivity of conifer plantations in Sweden. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 49: 1311-1319

   17.  Goude, M., Nilsson, U. & Holmström, E. 2019. Comparing direct and indirect leaf area measuremenst for Scots pine and Norway spruce plantations in Sweden. European Journal of Forest Research. 138: 1033-1047, DOI:10.1007/s10342-019-01221-2

   18.  Nilsson, O., Hjelm, K. & Nilsson, U. 2019. Early growth of planted Norway spruce and Scots pine after site preparation in Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research. 34: 678-688 DOI: 10.1080/02827581.2019.1659398

   19.  Sténs, A., Roberge, J-M., Löfmarck, E., Beland Lindahl, K., Felton, A., Widmark, C., Rist, L.,  Johansson, J., Nordin, A., Nilsson, U., Laudon, H. & Ranius, T. 2019. From ecological knowledge to conservation policy: a case study on green tree retention and continour-cover forestry in Sweden. Biodiversity and Conservation, 1-28.

   20.  Pretzsch, H., del Río, M., Biber, P., Arcangeli, C., Bielak, K., Brang, P., Dudzinska, M., Forrester, D.I., Klädtke, J., Kohnle, U., Ledermann, T., Matthews, R., Nagel, J., Nagel, R., Nilsson, U., Ningre, F., Nord-Larsen, T., Wernsdörfer, H. & Sycheva, E. 2019. Maintenance of lnog-term experiments for unique insights into forest growth dynamics and trends: review and perspectives. European Journal of Forest Research 138, 165-185

   21.  Fransson, P., Nilsson, U., Lindroos, O., Franklin O., Brännström Å. 2019. Model-based investigation on the effects of spatial evenness, and size selection in thinning of Picea abes stands. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research. 34:3. 189-199 

   22.  Subramanian N., Nilsson, U., Mossberg, M., Bergh, J. 2019. Impacts of climate change, weather extremes and alternative strategies in managed forests. Écoscience, 26, 53-70

   23.  Holmström E., Goude M., Nilsson O., Nordin A., Lundmark T., Nilsson U. 2018. Productivity of Scots pine and Norway spruce in central Sweden and competitive release in mixtures of the two species. Forest Ecology and Management, 429, 287-293.

   24.  Fahlvik, N., Berglund, M., Hampus, H. & Nilsson U. 2018. Simulation of the long-term effects of different strategies for precommercial thinning in Pinus sylvestris. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research.  33, 347-356. 

   25.  Egbäck, S., Nilsson, U., Nyström K., Högberg K-A., & Fahlvik, N. 2018. Modeling early height growth in trials of genetically improved Norway spruce and Scots pine in southern Sweden. Silva Fennica. 52, article id 7738