Contested boreal landscapes – consequences of different forest management priorities

• When managing natural resources, the requirements of several stakeholders often need to be considered, as their competing aims and interests need to be delivered in different ways. Agreeing on trade-offs and finding optimal solutions is often a demanding task, particularly if the actions of one land user make it difficult for others to utilize natural resources in a specific way.In this case study, we explore the consequences of two different forest management scenarios on forest characteristics and economic gains in two particular study areas in the Swedish boreal forest. The management strategies differ by prioritizing either i) forest characteristics that sustain reindeer grazing or ii) timber production as practiced in Swedish forestry today. However, simplifications that affect our models include the assumption of only one landowner and a management focus on the stand level. Further, we do not evaluate the direct consequences of the two scenarios on reindeer husbandry, as only selected parts of the winter grazing grounds are considered.Depending on the management strategy, forest characteristics differ, e.g. the composition of age classes or timber volume. Compared to management for timber production, forests managed for reindeer grazing are characterized by a higher abundance of older age classes with larger trees, but lower stem density. We found that, over a 100 year period, these forest characteristics generated revenues of approximately 80 % of those resulting from management focused on timber production.These differences and their resulting consequences illustrate the contrasting preferences for particular forest characteristics of the two land users. However, to understand them as principles for potential trade-offs, they have to be interpreted carefully in relation to the range of possible management options available to achieve sustainability in the multiple-use situation of Swedish boreal forests, as well as to enhance their cultural and biological value.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

multiple use management

trade-off

land use conflict

reindeer herding

forestry

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)