Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The production forestry in southern Sweden is dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies), a species that in recent years has suffered from damage related to climate change. There is a need to diversify the species composition to create more resilient production forests. One suitable species for this is silver birch (Betula pendula). Birch is fast growing, produce good quality wood and grows well in the same site conditions as the spruce.
Regardless of species, site preparation and fertilization could be helpful aids to achieve a successful regeneration, giving the seedlings the best possible conditions to grow and survive.
There is a lack of research on how to best regenerate birch for quality timber e.g. best site preparation method and effect of early fertilization, two aspects of regeneration investigated in this thesis. Birch seedlings at two sites in southern Sweden were measured and analysed. Both locations had identical experimental plots treated with different site preparation methods, both fertilized and unfertilized.
The results in this thesis show a significant advantage of planting in soil treated with soil inversion compared to disc trenching and untreated control in terms of height growth and survivability. However, soil inversion is expensive, and the economic benefits from better growth and less mortality must be weighed against cheaper site preparation methods for it to be a viable option for forest owners.