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SLU Forest Damage Centre

We produce and collect knowledge and competence for the health of the forest.

Illustrations on SLU Forest DAmage Centre's research areas.

We prevent and monitor forest damage

We research, analyze and monitor forest damage in order to equip the Swedish forest against today's and tomorrow's risks of damage. We create and collect knowledge for forest health.

With a focus on responsible forestry, preservation of natural values, and biological diversity, we contribute to sustainable social development under changing climate conditions.

Research School

The SLU Forest Damage Centre's research school trains doctoral students to get a broad competence in forest damages. Here, you can network with industry and authorities. The research school is open to all doctoral students at SLU.

Shoes on a stone in the forest. Photo.

Monitoring of forest damage

We collect data on damage and populations or agents that cause damage in Swedish forest ecosystems. The data contribute important information to the analysis function within the Centre and governmental work.

Caterpillars of sawflies on a pine. Photo.

Analyst function

The analysis function is an important part of the SLU Forest Damage Centre. Our analysts investigate the risk for national outbreaks, compile knowledge and provide support in the event of outbreaks or other incidents.

A woman stands by a birch in the forest. Photo.

Our projects

Here you find our current and previous projects. We have research projects, environmental monitoring project, pilot studies or development projects connected to forest damage.

Spruce twig. Photo.

Forest damage related news from SLU

  • 17 February 2025 SLU Skogsskadecentrum

    He aims to develop innovative and cost-effective ways to monitor forest damage

    Drone monitor during flight. Photo. Meet Fabio Carrer, a PhD student at the SLU Forest Damage research school. With a background in mathematics, he wants to develop statistical methods and make data collection on forest damage more cost-effective.
  • 12 February 2025 SLU Skogsskadecentrum

    She Stress-Tests Trees to Assess Their Resilience to Future Climates

    woman by a tree By exposing seedlings to drought and heat in climate chambers, researcher Leonie Schönbeck aims to determine how trees will cope in the future. “The need to better understand drought and heat tolerance in trees is significant, as it helps us predict their vulnerability to climate change,” says Schönbeck.
  • 27 January 2025 SLU Skogsskadecentrum

    From California to Sweden: A Tale of Wildfire Preparedness and Policy Gaps

    Man smiling towards the camera The recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area have once again underscored the increasing frequency and severity of forest fires across the globe. To shed light on this critical issue, we spoke with Igor Drobyshev, a forest fire expert and senior lecturer at the Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre. Igor’s research offers valuable perspectives on the prediction, prevention, and mitigation of wildfires, as well as the broader challenges and opportunities in managing fire-prone landscapes.
  • 19 December 2024 SLU Skogsskadecentrum

    New call from SLU Forest Damage Centre opened

    The SLU Forest Damage Centre has opened a call focused on forest damage with the explicit purpose of strengthening collaboration with other authorities or institutions, such as the Swedish Forest Agency, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, the Forestry Research Institute or the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, projects including a social science perspective are especially encouraged.
  • 11 December 2024 SLU Skogsskadecentrum

    SLU Forest Damage Centre expands with new analyst

    Teresa López-Andújar Fustel. Photo. Teresa López-Andújar Fustel is SLU Forest Damage Centre's newest addition - she takes on the role of analyst in the field of wind and snow. With this addition, the centre expands its analysis function, which now covers the areas of damage - fire and drought, insects, fungi, viruses and bacteria, wildlife, wind and snow, as well as the socio-economic consequences of damage and risk and impact assessments with Heureka.
Published: 05 September 2024 - Page editor: theres.svensson@slu.se
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