Mixed Species Forest Experiments
Created 2022-02-04 16:12:58 and last modified 2022-03-25 14:32:35 CET
Began in 2022
Summary
There has been much debate in Swedish society regarding the benefits of mixed forests as an alternative to monoculture management in the managed forest landscape. Further, some research has suggested that mixed forests deliver more ecosystem services, including higher forest productivity. Existing analysis of the benefits of mixed forests has been almost entirely focused on correlation based approaches using national forest inventory type data; whereas, carefully implemented experiments designed to test species mixing effects are lacking. Experiments are needed to independently assess the benefits of mixed forests, and further identify which specific species combination achieve the highest growth.
ecosystem services mixed forests monoculture
Project details
Suggested Focal Species: Spruce (Picea abies), Pine (Pinus Sylvestris), Birch (Betula pendula), and Siberian Larch (Larix sibirica)
Randomized Block Design with 11 treatments (plots), 2 replicates
Each replicate has a defined density - High Density(HD) & Low
5 sites (+ 5 more sites later?)
( 2 Västerbotten/Vindeln,
1(2) Dalarna/Halsingland/Siljansfors,
2(1) Halland/Småland/Tönnersheden/Asa)
Planting spring 2023
11 plots (treatments) /density, site x 2 densities = 22 plots/site
Mono species (4)
Spruce,
Pine,
Birch
Larch
Two Species Mixes (6)
Spruce/Pine
Spruce/Birch
Spruce/Larch
Pine/Birch
Pine/Larch
Birch/Larch
Four Species Mixes (1)
Spruce/Pine/Birch/Larch
Plot size 33 x 30 m
High Density(HD) 1.5 m
4444,4 trees/ha, 440 trees /plogt
22 rows x 20 trees per row
4 subplots within each plot, 56 trees (8 x 7)/subplot
Low Density(LD) 2.25 m (average),
1975,3 trees/ha, 196 trees /plot
14 rows x 14 trees per row (2.36 m between rows, 2.14 m within rows)
4 subplots within each plot, 25 trees (5 x 5)/subplot
6996 trees per site, 2.2 ha per site
#Trees LD, Trees HD, Total
Spruce 539, 1210, 1749
Pine 539, 1210, 1749
Birch 539, 1210, 1749
Larch 539, 1210, 1749
2156, 4840, 6996