Q&A about the Swedish forestry and more

40.7 million hectares – that’s how large Sweden’s surface area is. And 70 per cent of that currently consists of forest; and around 75 per cent of that is managed long-term. Forests are therefore one of Sweden’s most important renewable sources of raw materials. It takes between 60 and 120 years for a tree to become fully grown so it can be harvested. When an area of forest is felled, an average of 11 per cent is left untouched for so-called “general consideration”.

Twenty-five per cent of Swedish woodland is excluded from forestry activity due to various reasons such as environmental considerations or because land is unproductive. Nine per cent of Sweden’s woodland has formal protection as nature reserves.

Growing trees absorb and bind carbon dioxide. Carbon is also stored in the products we make from trees, such as houses, furniture, packaging, paper and textiles. These are important products in people’s daily lives and they have a vital role in the transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

Wood fibre can be recycled many times. When it can no longer be recycled, it can be used, together with residual products from forestry and forest industry activity, as green bioenergy for heating, electricity and fuel. When bioenergy is burned, biogenic carbon dioxide is formed, which is reabsorbed by growing trees, thus completing the cycle. In Sweden, we plant at least two trees for every tree we harvest.

“Sustainable forestry is the management and use of forests and woodland in such a way, and at such a rate, that its biological diversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and ability to fulfil important ecological, economic and social functions now and in the future and at the national and global level is preserved, without harming other ecosystems.”

This definition of sustainable forestry is supported by the UN’s Food and Agricultural Agency and the pan-European high-level forestry process, Forest Europe. The definition is based on Agenda 2030, which also forms the basis for the development of sustainable forestry in Sweden.

Almost half of the Swedish forest is owned by 320 000 individual owners. A quarter of the forest is owned by private forest associations. Another quarter is owned by the state, municipalities and the church.

Read more about ownership here.

The land area of Sweden is 70 percent forest, amounting to 28 million hectares, and this figure does not fluctuate much. However, the standing volume of timber has doubled over the last 100 years. And the trees are thicker as well.

The forest grows by an average of 120 million cubic metres per year. About 90 million cubic metres of forest is harvested every year. Out of Sweden’s total forest acreage, roughly one per cent per year is harvested, and for each tree that is felled, 2-3 new trees are planted.

Sweden is situated in the boreal coniferous forest belt. Here, conifers – spruce and pine – are the most common types of tree. The further south you go, the more deciduous trees you will find. Many leafy trees are also good at reforesting naturally, which means that while forestry has largely focused on conifers for a long time, it has not resulted in forests that consist only of conifers, since deciduous trees occur naturally. The volume of standing timber in the forest comprises 20 per cent deciduous trees and 40 per cent each of spruce and pine.

Read more about Sweden's forests here.

The Swedish forest industry aims to manage the forests in such a way that all species can live on. The retention of, for example, groups of trees and high stumps in everyday forestry activities combined with the areas voluntarily set aside by forest owners, forms the basis for the preservation of biodiversity in managed forests.

The Swedish Forestry Act considers wood production and environmental goals to be equally important, and this forms the basis for all activities in the forest. Conditions that allow all forest-based species to live on are created every day. All forest owners are responsible for ensuring species-rich and ecologically valuable forests, as are all those who visit the forests using the Right of Public Access, which obliges everyone not to harm the environment or protected species.

The responsibility for protecting biodiversity is shared between the state and the forest owners. The state, at national and regional level, protects forests by creating national parks, nature reserves and other formally protected areas. The forest owners assume their part of the responsibility by taking environmental consideration measures and by voluntarily setting aside parts of the forest landscape for environmental, cultural, and recreational reasons.

Forest owners set aside areas for nature conservation and environmental consideration measures are included in all forestry activities. Until now, Swedish forest owners have set aside 1.2 million hectares of forest land for nature conservation. An additional 11 percent of the managed forest land is left unfelled for environmental reasons at the time of final felling. Old trees and trees of special value for biodiversity are preserved, as well as groups of trees and buffer zones near bodies of water and other sensitive biotopes.

Many forest owners undertake ambitious nature conservation activities such as burning forest land and recreating wetlands and other habitats to improve conditions for threatened species. Today’s environmental consideration measures have been used for the last 25 years and contribute to mitigating the effects of clear-felling and to the creation of improved conditions for biodiversity.

The environmental consideration measures and tree retention enrich the growing forest and the forests that are created today will harbour substantially more ecological qualities than the forests that were regenerated more than two decades ago.

Biodiversity is necessary for resilient and healthy forests that are well prepared for climate change and increasingly extreme weather conditions. Forest industries are based on the idea that forests should be used in ways that increase both growth and biodiversity.

Conditions for biodiversity in Sweden’s forests have improved over the past 30 years. For example, the amount of deadwood and the proportion of old forest has increased by 80 per cent on land where forestry is conducted. Furthermore, the amount of coarse hardwoods has tripled.

All forms of human activity affect biodiversity, and so they have done for thousands of years. In many places, forestry activities have created forests that are different from the ones that were there before large-scale forestry operations began. In some places, the forests are denser and darker and, in others, sparser as a result of thinning. It varies which of these habitats different species prefer.

Adding up the forest land that is excluded from forestry and the environmental consideration measures taken at the time of felling, we in the forest industry consider the conditions created for the species normally living in the forest landscape to be good. Looking back, we can see that Sweden’s forests contain more solid dead wood and a larger number of large broadleaved trees today compared to 100 years ago. Since the 1990s, the amount of noble broadleaf woodland, the amount of forests dominated by broadleaved trees, and the amount of old forest, have all increased.

Much of Sweden’s official statistics concerning forests and biodiversity originate from SLU Swedish Species Information Centre (Artdatabanken) and The Swedish National Forest Inventory (Riksskogstaxeringen) at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Based on these statistics, there is nothing to indicate that the number of species in the forests has decreased. On the other hand, there is nothing that indicates that the number of species has increased, either. The Swedish Bird Inventory (Svensk Fågeltaxering), however, shows that the number of bird species in the forests has increased. We also know that there has been an increase in many key structures that are important for biodiversity, including old forest, large trees, broadleaved trees, and dead wood.

Some forest types are more diverse than others. Spruce (Picea abies) trees on former agricultural land often harbour quite a limited range of species while a clearcut area, where a lot of light — which is important to many insects and vascular plants — reaches the ground, may be home to a larger number of species.

Many animals migrate when the trees in a stand are felled. Some leave the felled area while others move in. Ungulates such as moose and roedeer often benefit from felling as it increases the amount of natural forage available. It is harder for animals that prefer shady, stable conditions and that are adapted to old forest to tolerate the change that felling brings. Most of these species become re-established as the new forest matures. Having a landscape that contains forests of all different age classes ensures that most species are able to find good habitats. The most sensitive species are protected through environmental consideration measures and set-aside areas.

Our forest ecosystems and the species that live in them have adapted to be able to withstand the kind of radical changes that forest fires or storms bring about. As a result, they are also able to survive the impact of a felling. Less than five animal species are considered to have become extinct in Sweden due to forestry activities since the 1950s.

Things are, however, more difficult for some plants and fungi. Some say that for continuity, these species must be able to remain in the same place as their seeds or spores cannot spread far enough for them to find another suitable habitat. Naturally, these species are affected when the environment changes. To favour species with weak dispersibility, some forests are therefore left undisturbed.

Sweden’s total area of forest land is 28 million hectares. Of this, about 25% is excluded from forestry in one way or another. An additional 11 percent, on average, of the managed forest land is left undisturbed for environmental reasons at the time of final felling. 

Of the total area of forest land, about 9% is formally protected through inclusion in nature reserves. About 16% of the forest land is categorised as unproductive with poor soils. No forestry activities are carried out in these areas. You can find more statistics at www.scb.se.

In Sweden, 63% of the forest land is certified. Certifying forest land and forest management is a voluntary commitment on the part of the forest owner whereby they undertake to comply with the certification standards, which include setting aside part of the land for nature conservation. The certification standards contribute to economically, ecologically, and socially responsible forest management. There are two certification systems in Sweden: FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). 

Sweden’s Right of Public Access is a unique institution. It gives people the freedom to roam just about anywhere in the countryside, provided that they do not disturb or destroy. The right of Public Access also applies to private land. It is thanks to this right that we are able to enjoy many of the opportunities for outdoor recreation available in Sweden. You rely on the Right of Public Access whenever you spend time in the Swedish countryside — whether you take a walk, go kayaking, climb a mountain or just sit down on a rock to think.

While the Right of Public Access is guaranteed by the Swedish Constitution, it is not enshrined in law and there is no statute that precisely defines its scope. On the other hand, various laws impose limits on what is allowed. It is therefore not always possible to say exactly what you may or may not do in the countryside. While the courts have the power to interpret the Right of Public Access, few cases have actually come before a court of law.

In Sweden, many forest owners choose to apply even-aged forest management with clearcuts and tree retention because it is the silvicultural method that is most effective when it comes to making trees grow fast and hence produce more wood. More wood means more renewable products that are good for the country’s economy and for the climate. Since the forest is to be used as an economic asset for the whole country, as stated in the first paragraph of the Forestry Act, there is a broad consensus between the forestry sector, the authorities, and policy-makers that even-aged forestry with clearcuts and retention is often the most suitable silvicultural method in Sweden.

The forest owner is free to choose which silvicultural system to use, i.e., how to manage the forest, within the frameworks established by legislation. Different forest owners have different objectives and goals for their forests.  Different forms of continuous cover forestry, without clearcuts, can be applied to achieve certain objectives and when various values require special attention and care. For example, to maintain or enhance recreational values close to residential areas, to preserve biotopes with epiphytic lichens that are important for reindeer husbandry, or to favour certain types of mycorrhizal fungi. 

We are curious and generally keen to learn more about continuous cover forestry. There is limited research in this field, but the general picture at present is that continuous cover forestry results in lower wood production and a lower level of carbon capture. Continuous cover forestry is not always better than evenaged forestry when it comes to biodiversity either. Several aspects need to be considered when deciding on the ideal method for each individual forest area and the prerequisites for forest management vary between different parts of the country.

According to the Swedish Forest Agency’s annual statistics for 2019, the average Swedish clearcut measures 3.6 hectares. Clearcuts in southern Sweden are generally smaller than those in the northern parts of the country.

Clearcuts may look messy, but for a good reason. For example, leaving stumps that measure 2–4 metres in height is a way of increasing the amount of dead wood in the forest. Dead wood is important for many insects and other organisms and is one of the components that used to be more common in unmanaged forests.

Groups of trees are left unfelled to protect many different species and to make the harvested area feel less bare. They provide an important place of refuge for species as the new forest grows. In a certified forest, at least 10 trees per hectare are left on the felled area and there are rules that determine how large an area can be left without any trees at all. Trees and wood are also left on the ground to decay slowly and create habitats for different insects, larvae, lichens, mosses, fungi etc., that are dependent on wood in varying stages of decay.