The research, launched together with the state-owned forestry company Metsähallitus as well as the universities of Helsinki and eastern Finland, aims very far. Forest researchers have used samples gathered tens of years ago also before, but in these cases the later use has not been foreseen very well.

In this case, however, planned forestry activities and long-term experiments reach even a hundred years ahead. Mr. Sauli Valkonen, senior research scientist of Finnish Forest Research Institute, shows computerized logging plans for the year 2069. “In Ruunaa area we have planned loggings even for 2110,” says Valkonen.

The name of the research project is “Forest management regimes based on natural disturbance dynamics”. The baseline of the research were studies made by professor, Mr. Timo Kuuluvainen in Russian natural forests.

“He made an observation that the variation of intensity, scale and frequency of disturbances in natural forests is much larger than was imagined,” says Valkonen.

Based on this, an idea to study this further was born. What would be the characteristics of forestry imitating these types of disturbances – how profitable it could be and which would be its effect on biodiversity, the growth of the forest and birth of viable tree plants.

Results ”already” in 15 years
A disturbance means an event, which changes the structure of the forest suddenly, and in such a way that space and resources for growth are released and the microclimate changes. Typical disturbances are damages caused by storms, fire and pests.

The largest difference between the disturbances caused by forestry – meaning loggings – and natural disturbances is that in forestry, the timber is taken out of the forest while when natural disturbances occur the timber is left in the forest to decay. This is why it is important that the loggings made in connection with the research are of different intensities: in some loggings half of the trees are removed, in others 90 percent.

The research area is divided in sections of some 100 hectares. On each of them several logging methods are executed on both intensities: selective loggings of single trees, small gap loggings with 10–30 and 40–60 meters logging area diameter, and normal clearcuts of several hectares.
Regeneration will be natural whenever possible. Uneven-aged structure is favoured from the beginning.

The research already has started in Ruunaa area in eastern Finland and in Isojärvi area in southern Finland. The areas of research are very extensive, 700 hectares in Isojärvi and 1000 hectares in Ruunaa. Although the research activities are carried out in smaller areas, the results are monitored on the whole area.

Experimental loggings have been carried out in five sites in Isojärvi area. During this winter the number of logging areas will increase to 50.

Guidelines for practical forestry are expected
Decisions to carry out the research have been so far made only for the next five years since the projects in Finnish Forest Research Institute cannot be longer. Within this time frame it is, however, possible to reach some results on, for example, regeneration of small logging areas.

New information concerning the effect of loggings on the species may also be available within some years, if the loggings clearly differ from those previously carried out in research and in commercial forests in general. First significant results concerning the functionality of new logging methods in commercial forests are to be published in 15 years. “Already then,” says Valkonen.

The research based on long-term follow-up is, however, only a part of a large research project. Applying small scale forestry methods on a practical scale and learning of experience is among the most important reasons for Metsähallitus – as well as the researchers – to participate in the project.

Many kinds of research projects are planned to be carried out in the research area, and some of them may give results relatively soon. “We are waiting for a bunch initiatives as well as propositions for cooperation from various fields of scientific research,” says Valkonen.

By Hannes Mäntyranta



More on alternative forestry methods
More on continuous cover silviculture here and here
Homepage of the research project