About the Wallenberg Initiatives in Forest Research

WIFORCE is a strategic investment in natural science forest research at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. The research program includes an extension of two existing programs: one focused on future forest management and another on forest biotechnology. It also includes a new research school where more than 50 doctoral students will be trained, of which 14 will collaborate with industry and other partners. Additionally, five new research groups will be established.

WIFORCE’s overarching goals are:

• Excellent fundamental research for a better understanding of the processes governing forest growth, survival, and biodiversity.
• How this knowledge can be utilized for sustainable forestry, new forest management methods, and the breeding of better-adapted trees.
• The consequences of different forest management methods (effects on biodiversity, water, carbon storage).
• Training the next generation of researchers for industry, authorities, and other stakeholders.

Below is a description of the components included in WIFORCE.

Research Program: Future Silviculture

Conditions and new methods for sustainable forestry

The goal of this WIFORCE research program is to bridge the gap between fundamental and applied science in forest management. Research on how trees, soil, and landscapes function is linked to research on the sustainable use of forests, with the aim of developing future forest management practices. The research program is located at SLU’s Department of Forest Ecology and Management in Umeå.

The program is led by Sandra Jämtgård.

Research Program in Forest Biotechnology

Biology, genetics, and breeding for future trees

The Umeå Plant Science Centre is a hub for experimental plant research between Umeå University and SLU. Here, there is a WIFORCE research program in forest biotechnology where plant fundamental research is taken all the way to practical applications in forestry and the forest industry.

The program is led by Ove Nilsson.

WIFORCE Research School

The research school aims to provide doctoral students with the necessary fundamental scientific knowledge to analyze, develop, and actively contribute to research on the sustainable use of forests in the future. The graduate school will include around 50 doctoral students, of which 14 will be industrial or collaborative doctoral students.

Director of Studies and Coordinator: Maria Israelsson Nordström
Scientific Leaders: Ove Nilsson and Hjalmar Laudon

Five New Research Groups

The initiative includes recruitment packages to establish five research groups focusing on:

• Forest management and biodiversity in terrestrial environments
• Forest management and biodiversity in water-rich environments
• Tools for structural and functional biodiversity assessment
• Mapping biodiversity using eDNA
• Genetic biodiversity in relation to forest management

The Team Working with WIFORCE

Scientific Leaders

Hjalmar Laudon, Professor of Biogeochemistry in Forest Landscapes
070-560 66 25, hjalmar.laudon@slu.se

Ove Nilsson, Professor of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology
070-286 90 82, ove.nilsson@slu.se

Coordinator, Director of Studies

Maria Israelsson Nordström
070-208 76 26, maria.nordstrom@slu.se

Research Coordinator

Anke Carius
090-786 83 35, anke.carius@slu.se

Communications officer

Susanna Bergström
090-786 82 99, susanna.bergstrom@slu.se