The ongoing collection of data on damage and populations or agents that cause damage in Swedish forest ecosystems is an important part of the Forest Damage Centre at SLU. The data contribute important information to the analysis function within the Centre, but might also be applied within research, as well as be relevant for other governmental work.
The monitoring financed by the SLU Forest Damage Centre focus on continuous collection of established pest species and separates its area of responsibility from the Swedish Forestry Agency (e.g., pest outbreaks, in charge of the Target-tailored Forest Damage Inventories) and the Swedish Board of Agriculture (Monitoring of Quarantine Pests). The focus of the SLU Forest Damage Centre is on strengthening and complementing ongoing monitoring within forest ecosystems within Sweden, as well as funding method and model development that can, for example, improve population estimates and quality assurance.
Overall, SLU Forest Damage Center's monitoring rest on three pillars.
To provide better data on damage and certain populations of pests, which can be integrated within the NFI.
To provide data on important populations of pests (e.g., ungulates, populations of bark beetles and fungi and their impact on the forest).
As support to other authorities and to landowners, for example, the coordination of Target-tailored forest damage inventory and data security of existing data sets.
During the first year of SLU Forest Damage Centre, started three long-term monitoring funding’s started:
In addition to this, three pilot studies that evaluated the possibility of thematic monitoring orientations has been funded (i.e. ungulates, insects, and fungi) that may become relevant within the Centre in the future. In addition to these long-term efforts, a number of annual studies focusing on method development, data assurance and making existing datasets open-assessable as well as an evaluation of the possibility of a joint database on forest fires within Sweden have been financed.
Within the framework of SLU Forest Damage Centre monitoring, there will be recurring opportunities to apply for funds for shorter studies or pilot projects that are relevant for monitoring (e.g., development studies or data security).