Boreal forests store major parts of terrestrial carbon pools and house an extensive biodiversity, mediating various ecosystem processes, including carbon sequestration. In Norway, boreal forests have been affected by forestry for hundreds of years and only a small portion of the forests can be considered as natural forests. A high number of endangered species are associated with natural forests. In the EcoForest project, we will assess the effects of current stand-based forest management practices on species richness and genetic diversity, carbon stocks and dynamics, and processes linking these. To address these effects of forestry, we will compare 15 paired plots of near-natural forests, not impacted by clear-cutting, with mature stands that have been through one cycle of clear-cutting. The forests will be compared with respect to forest structure, carbon sequestration, community diversity, genetic diversity and biodiversity functions. The project is an extensive collaboration between UiO, NMBU, NINA and Nibio. Moreover, the research will be conducted in close collaboration with partners from the forestry industry, environmental organizations and other stakeholders.
EcoForest will provide a comprehensive overview on how forestry practices influence forest biodiversity, carbon pools and ecological processes, and will provide important knowledge for future sustainable forest management practices and climate mitigation strategies.
Supervisors
Håvard Kauserud and Inger Skrede