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Successful thematic day in Silkeborg

Date: 2022.04.06

Around 50 participants took part in this year’s first NordGen Forest thematic day, which was held in Silkeborg in Denmark. The overarching theme was climate change and how to choose the right plant material for the future forests. As Silvio Schüler stated in his presentation: “It is now that decisions must be made. It is the forest being planted now that will determine whether the climate goals are reached.”

Text: Kjersti Bakkebø Fjellstad, NordGen Skog. Pictures: Gunnar Friis-Proschowsky, Naturstyrelsen.

Silvio Shüler from the Austrian Research Center for Forests participated with his presentation virtually via Teams. To contribute to the best choice of tree species and seed sources for the future climates, the European project SUSTTREE has analysed available provenance trials throughout Central and Northern Europe. Results from 247 experiments, 1000 tested seed sources and 7 different tree species are included in the analysis and is the baseline for what may provide the optimal forest production for the future.

A clear conclusion from the work is that we have to include assisted migration of tree species as an important part of the solution. The production potential for conifers (primarily pine and spruce) will decline, especially in Central Europe, and deciduous trees will become more important. If you make an effort to use the optimal species and seed sources in the future, you will be able to maintain carbon sequestration in the forest – even by using more deciduous trees. Planting of foreign tree species has not been part of the analysis, but Schüler admits that if we include for instance North American conifers in the analysis, one could increase production even more.

Climate forest

Then Jørgen Nimb Lassen continued, with a talk about the newly established “Klimaskov Foundation” in Denmark. A climate forest fund has been established by the Danish Parliament to support work towards achieving national climate targets, by promoting planting of forests on new land. The work is well underway, in close collaboration with Danish municipalities. About 1/3 of the Danish municipalities are already involved in the establishment of such forest plant projects.

Around 50 participants took part in this year’s first NordGen Forest thematic day.

But how climate-robust are the trees in our forests? Forests are a very important part of the solution to the climate challenges. We must therefore ensure that the trees are robust over many years. Erik Kjær, from the University of Copenhagen, pointed out in his lecture the challenges which arise with changing weather phenomena. Climate is getting warmer, wetter and wilder. As a result, we are already seeing challenges for some tree species, with, for example, spring frosts, drought stress and increasing problems with pests and diseases. To counteract this, forest tree breeding is an important tool. By making use of the genetic diversity, we can select robust seed sources or provenances with good traits. Kjær also reiterated that we must choose the best species for a given growing place. This can include native species, foreign seed sources of native species or foreign species. To ensure robust forests for the future!

Co-planting and excursion in the forest

Palle Madsen from InNovaSilva had the last speech in the session indoors, with the theme of co-planting, or “nurse crops”, as a tool against game grazing. There are currently no clear results on what works best, but the use of Aronia and rowan as protection for Douglas fir, may be effective partly because you do not have to remove the bushes to ensure further growth after a while. The idea is that through co-planting you can still give the game access to graze. You do not have to fence in the plants, but you still protect the main tree species since the game will choose the other plants.

This theme was also highlighted in the forest, during the excursion after lunch. Forest warden Thomas Steen Mikkelsen and Palle Madsen were responsible for the tour of “Birkebæk Plantasje”, a conifer plantation first established around 1875.

The theme day was primarily held physically, but we also had a few virtual guests, to test the possibility of future hybrid meetings. This is promising. But, first of all it was very nice for the participants to finally be able to meet physically again, and both have a good conversation during the breaks and a visit to the experiments in the woods.