I started inside the forest, got caught up in the forest edge and when not tangled up in thorny shrubs I research and teach about the management and design of vegetation in urban environments. I have a special interest in woody species and biotope based design approaches. My research is to a large extent focused on the Urban Forest i.e. all trees with in the urban landscape, from single street trees to urban woodlands. I am the course leader for the graduate courses “Urban Forestry” and Dynamic Vegetation Design.
Selected Courses
Park- and landscape management (undergraduate level)
Basic plant and vegetation knowledge (undergraduate level)
Maintenance of green areas and natural land (undergraduate level)
Southern Sweden´s forests and landscapes (undergraduate level)
Vegetation design (undergraduate level)
Plant Technology (undergraduate level)
Plant and soil science for landscape engineers (undergraduate level)
Dynamic Vegetation Design (graduate level)
Urban forestry (graduate level)
Ongoing Projects
Movium Partnerskap ”Sammanställning av odlingserfarenheter av träd och buskar för ett nordligt klimat” [Compilation of experiences of trees and shrubs for a northern climate].
FORMAS “Hållbar etablering av vedartad vegetation på skolgårdar i urbana miljöer. [Sustainable establishment of woody vegetation on urban school grounds]
Earlier Projects
EU H2020 Research and Innovation Action. “REGREEN. Fostering nature-based solutions for smart, green and healthy urban transitions in Europe and China”. 2019-2023
FORMAS “Trädetablering i framtida urbana klimat. [Tree establishment in a future urban climate]” 2016-2022.
KSLA “Optimal tid för beskärning och stamkvistning” [Optimal time for tree pruning] 2020-2021.
Svenska Trädföreningen “Att beskära i tid och otid” [To prune timely or untimely] 2020.
Nordisk Fond for Bytræer ”Utvärdering av lämplig tid för beskärning utifrån ett kontrollerat fältförsök” 2020-2021
SLU:s miljöanalysprogram Bebyggd miljö. ”Utveckling av "lekotoper" för barns naturmöten” [The development of "playtopes" for childre´s contact with nature]. 2020.
Movium Partnerskap ”Framtidsanalys för skötsel av tätortsnära skog” [Scenario analysises for urban woodland management]. 2020-2021
FORMAS ”Skogar för framtidens städer. [Woods go urban]” 2017-2019
KSLA “Pocket Woods – Adaptiv gestaltning av urbana skogsfragment genom plantering. [Pocket Woods – adaptive design of urban forests trough planting]”. 2017-2018
Peer-reviewed articles
Levinsson A, Emilsson T, Sjöman H, Wiström B (2024) Using stomatal conductance capacity during water stress as a tool for tree species selection for urban stormwater control systems. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 91:128164
Wiström B, Emilsson T, Sjöman H, Levinsson A (2023). Experimental evaluation of waterlogging and drought tolerance of essential Prunus species in central Europe. Forest Ecology and Management 537:120904.
Lund A, Levinsson A, Östberg J, Wiström B (2023) Pruning revisited – effect of pruning season on wood discoloration and occlusion in four temperate broadleaved tree species. Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research 96: 605–617
Esperon-Rodriguez, M., Rymer, P.D., Power, S.A., Barton, D.N., Cariñanos, P., Dobbs, C., Eleuterio, A.A., Escobedo, F.J., Hauer, R., Hermy, M., Jahani, A., Onyekwelu, J.C., Östberg, J., Pataki, D., Randrup, T.B., Rasmussen, T., Roman, L.A., Russo, A., Shackleton, C., Solfjeld, I., van Doorn, N.S., Wells, M.J., Wiström, B., Yan, P., Yang, J., Tjoelker, M.G., (2022) Assessing climate risk to support urban forests in a changing climate. Plants, People Planet 4: 201-213.
Klobucar B, Östberg J, Wiström B, Jansson M (2021) Residential urban trees – socio-ecological factors affecting tree and shrub abundance in the city of Malmö, Sweden. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 62: 127118.
Östberg J, Sandberg K, Wiström B (2021) Rating of parameters used to assess tree vitality by urban foresters and ecologists in Sweden, using the Delphi method. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 62: 127134.
Sjöman H, Levinsson A, Emilsson T, Ibrahimova A, Alizade T, Douglas P, Wiström B (2021) Evaluation of Alnus subcordata for urban environments through assessment of drought and flooding tolerance. Dendrobiology 85: 39-50.
Östberg J, Sandberg K, Wiström B (2021) Rating of parameters used to assess tree vitality by urban foresters and ecologists in Sweden, using the Delphi method. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 62: 127134.
Klobucar B, Östberg J, Wiström B, Jansson M (2021) Residential urban trees – socio-ecological factors affecting tree and shrub abundance in the city of Malmö, Sweden. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 62: 127118.
Sjöman H, Levinsson A, Emilsson T, Ibrahimova A, Alizade T, Douglas P, Wiström B (2021) Evaluation of Alnus subcordata for urban environments through assessment of drought and flooding tolerance. Dendrobiology 85, 39-50.
Hannus S, Hirons A, Baxter T, McAllister H.A, Wiström B, Sjöman H (2020) Intraspecific drought tolerance of Betula pendula genotypes: an evaluation using leaf turgor loss in a botanical collection. Trees.
Fongar C, Randrup TB, Wiström B, Solfjeld I (2019) Public urban green space management in Norwegian municipalities: A managers’ perspective on place-keeping. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 44: Article 126438.
Fors H, Wiström B, Nielsen AB (2019) Personal and environmental drivers of resident participation in urban public woodland management – A longitudinal study. Landscape and Urban Planning 186, 79-90.
Östberg J, Wiström B, Randrup TB (2018) The state and use of municipal tree inventories in Swedish municipalities – results from a national survey. Urban Ecosystems. 21, 467-477.
Wiström B, Nielsen AB (2017) Forest Edge Regrowth Typologies in Southern Sweden -Relationship to Environmental Characteristics and Implications for Management Environmental Management 60:69-85.
Randrup TB, Östberg J, Wiström B (2017) Swedish green space management – The managers perspective. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 28, 103-109.
Nielsen AB, Hedblom M, Olafsson AS, Wiström B (2017) Spatial configurations of urban forest in different landscape and socio-political contexts: identifying patterns for green infrastructure planning Urban Ecosystems 20:379-392
Richnau G, Brunet J, Nielsen AB, Wiström B (2016) Planting clonal shade-tolerant herbs in young urban woodlands—Effects of compost on plant growth, flowering and survival. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 17,158-165
Wiström B, Nielsen AB (2016) Decisive environmental characteristics for woody regrowth in forest edges - patterns along complex environmental gradients in Southern Sweden. Forest Ecology and Management 363, 47-62.
Wiström B, Nielsen AB, Klobučar B, Klepec U (2015) Zoned Selective Coppice – a management system for graded forest edges. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 14, 156-162.
Wiström B, Nielsen AB (2014) Effects of planting design on planted seedlings and spontaneous vegetation 16 years after establishment of forest edges. New Forests 45, 97-117.
Jansson M, Fors H, Lindgren T, Wiström B (2013) Perceived personal safety in relation to urban woodland vegetation - A review. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 12, 127–133.
Nielsen AB, Konijnendijk CC, Wiström B, Jensen RB (2013) Municipal woodland in Denmark: Resources, governance and management. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 28, 49-63.
Östberg J, Delshammar T, Wiström B, Nielsen AB (2013) Grading of Parameters for Urban Tree Inventories by City Officials, Arborists, and Academics Using the Delphi Method. Environmental Management 51, 694-708.
Richnau G, Wiström B, Nielsen AB, Löf M (2012) Creation of multi-layered canopy structures in young oak-dominated urban woodlands - The 'ecological approach' revisited. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 11, 147-158.
Dissertation
Wiström B (2015) Forest Edge Development – Management and design of forest edges in infrastructure and urban environments. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae, 2015:129.
Book chapters
Nielsen AB, Gustavsson R, Wiström B (2023) Beginnings - Defining a laboratory approach for urban woods. In Nielsen AB, Diedrich L, Szanto C (red). Woods go Urban. Blauwdruk. Wageningen, pp 42-60.
Wiström B, Nielsen AB (2023) Snogeholm Landscape Laboratory. In Nielsen AB, Diedrich L, Szanto C (red). Woods go Urban. Blauwdruk. Wageningen, pp 70-75.
Nielsen AB, Gustavsson R, Wiström B (2023) Profile diagrams - Drawing and understanding urban woods. In Nielsen AB, Diedrich L, Szanto C (red). Woods go Urban. Blauwdruk. Wageningen, pp 82-103
Gustavsson R, Nielsen AB, Wiström B (2023) Structural approach - Unfolding spatial typologies of woods. In Nielsen AB, Diedrich L, Szanto C (red). Woods go Urban. Blauwdruk. Wageningen, pp 104-145
Gustavsson R, Nielsen AB, Folkesson A, Wiström B (2023) Design principles - Setting the stage for evolutionary design. In Nielsen AB, Diedrich L, Szanto C (red). Woods go Urban. Blauwdruk. Wageningen, pp 152-182
Wiström B, Gustavsson R, Nielsen AB, Hladíková D, Šesták J (2023) Creative management - Hands-on care for continuous change. In Nielsen AB, Diedrich L, Szanto C (red). Woods go Urban. Blauwdruk. Wageningen, pp 214-277
Sjöman H, Gunnarsson A, Wiström B, Gustavsson R. (2023) Horticultural focus - Plant knowledge based on experimentation In Nielsen AB, Diedrich L, Szanto C (red). Woods go Urban. Blauwdruk. Wageningen, pp 278-303
Gunnarsson A, Wiström B, Darlan Boris S, Gustavsson R, Thorpert P, Nielsen AB. (2023) Outdoor classrooms - Learning by doing, playing, acting. In Nielsen AB, Diedrich L, Szanto C (red). Woods go Urban. Blauwdruk. Wageningen, pp 312-335
Gustavsson R, Gunnarsson A, Wiström B (2019) Time out! - Thirty years of experiences from outdoor landscape teaching. In Mertens E, Karadeniz N, Jørgensen K, Stiles R (eds) (2019) The Routledge Handbook of Teaching Landscape. Routledge. London, pp 135 - 147.
Technical reports
Wiström B, Nielsen AB, Bjørn MC (2018) Use of cover crops when establishing woody plantings. IGN Report. Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg.