In the Swedish forests, wind and snow are among the most common causes of damage. Climate change also means that the risk of these damages increases. In a new study, researchers want to develop knowledge about the risks of wind and snow damage in the forest landscape.
The climate is changing, it is getting warmer with milder winters and more rainfall. These changes affect the risk of snow and wind damage in the Swedish forests. Inka Bolin, researcher at the Swedish University of Agriculture in Umeå, wants to improve methods for producing risk maps for these damages in a new study.
- This is a first step towards a nationwide mapping of the risk of wind and snow damage in Sweden. The study will end with us evaluating our model by producing risk maps for a number of test areas, says Inka Bohlin, researcher at the department of forest resource management at SLU.
In the study, they want to combine data from The Swedish National Forest Inventory from sample areas with remote sensing data from the same areas in order to develop a statistical model to be able to predict the risk of damage. If the model works well, it can be used to produce risk maps which can then help forest owners to see which areas or stocks are exposed to the greatest risk.
- A better mapping of risk makes it possible for forest owners to adapt forest management to future climate impacts, Inka explains.
With remote sensing it is possible to map lots of things, but the use has mostly been for the volume of the forest and tree species. Height, density, tree species, soil moisture but also changes in the forest between different times are examples of what remote sensing can provide knowledge about.
- The mapping can also give research increased knowledge about which factors affect the risk of wind and snow damage in different forest types and parts of the country, continues Inka.
The project is a collaboration between SLU, the Finnish Natural Resources Institute (Luke) and the Swedish Forest Agency and will last for two years. The study is part-financed by Skogssällskapet.
Forest damaged by storm.
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