The effect of methyl jasmonate on resistance against the large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis) in Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings. A field experiment was conducted in order to determine the dose-response effects of methyl jasmonate (MJ) on growth and defence to pine weevils in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) and to compare the effect of MJ between pine and spruce. In addition a complementary greenhouse experiment was conducted with the same aims as above and to determine the amount of resin ducts and their correlation to the feeding of pine weevils. The field experiment was conducted on a fresh clear cutting in Garpenberg, southern Dalarna in central Sweden. The experiment consisted of 30 blocks with three kinds of containerized seedlings: 2-year old spruce, small pine (before shoot elongation) and 1-year old pine (already shoot elongated). They were all exposed to 4 treatments 14 days prior to the experiment: control, 25 mM/L MJ, 50 mM/L MJ and 100 mM/L MJ. Data on weevil damage and seedling growth were collected after the first and the second growing season. The seedlings in the greenhouse experiment were of the same kind and were exposed to the same treatment as the ones in the field experiment.

The effect of inoculation on containerized pine and spruce seedlings in a nursery with two ectomycorrhizal fungi was investigated in regard to the development of mycorrhiza and plant growth. The fungi were Elaphomyces muricatus and Elaphomyces granulates and the inoculated seedlings were compared to an uninoculated control. These seedlings were all fertilized with arginine. Five mycorrhiza species were found after DNA sequencing of the mycorrhizal root tips with different found morphotypes on seedlings from all treatments. Thelephora terrestris was the type which had the greatest distribution on pine seedlings and Tylospora asterophora was found at big extent on spruce seedlings. The inoculated species was not found, if it was due to the species hadn?t colonized the roots or if the DNA sequencing failed we can only speculate about.

Two field experiments were conducted in central Sweden in order to: 1) Determine a relationship between the number of approaching pine weevils (Hylobius sp.) and the number of attacks by pine weevils, in relation to the size of seedlings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). 2) Determine if application of methyljasmonate (MJ) on seedlings of Scots pine will result in higher resistance towards attacks by pine weevils and/or have any effect on the number of approaching pine weevils. The field experiments were designed with two separate parts in close vicinity on the same clear cuttings: a) pitfall traps placed in patches of scarified soil that caught approaching pine weevils at 2.5 cm from the bait, which consisted of different sized seedlings of Scots pine some of which were subjected to application of MJ and b) the same type of seedlings planted out in patches of scarified soil. The first field experiment was conducted on a 1-year old clear cutting outside Uppsala in east central Sweden and the trapping part of the experiment consisted of 8 blocks with 6 treatments: 1) control, 2) small over-wintered seedling, 3) medium sized seedling, 4) medium sized seedling treated with 0.5 ml 100 mmol MJ 4 days prior to start of experiment, 5) large seedling, 6) vial with 9.5 ml of ?-pinene. The trapping experiment lasted for 6 weeks in the early summer.

The choice between bare-rooted and containerized seedlings in southern Sweden affects the investment costs as well as growth and survival. It is important to take these differences into account when choosing seedling type for reforestation. The most important differences between the two seedling-types is that bare-rooted seedlings has open root systems whereas the roots of containerized seedlings are grown in a container which may contain water and nutrients that are available for the seedling during the first period after planting. Moreover, bare-rooted seedlings are often older which results in thicker stembase and better resistance to attacks of pine-weevil (Hylobius abietis). In order to study differences in survival and growth between bare-rooted and containerized seedlings a survey study of newly planted clearcuts in south-western Sweden was made. In the study tree seedling types was included, one bare-rooted and two containerized with different ages. The population of pine weevils was probably low during the studied period which resulted in lower pine-weevil damage than normally found in this area.

Wind damages next to strip roads in 1st and 2nd thinning in Boxholm, Östergötland Anneli Fransson, SLU, inst f sydsvensk skogsvetenskap, Examensarbete no 108 Wind damage is something we are all familiar with since the storms Gudrun (2005) and Per (2007). Research about strip roads and wind damage is very limited. It is commonly known that the trees next to the strip roads more often fall whit heavy winds, and the purpose of this thesis was to verify this statement. Data was collected from first- and second thinnings at Boxholms Skogar AB, Östergötland. In first thinnings data was collected from both spruce and pine stands and second thinnings only data from spruce stands was collected.

The calculations in this thesis are evaluating the profit as a consequence from treating young stands of pine in Sweden with birch bark extract, BBE. Treatment is to be done with the object to lower or fully reduce the moose browsing on pine. The study is made in three versions. The results from each version separately will follow below. Version I.: The size of the moose population is in no way affected by the reduced resources of food as a consequence of large scale treatment with BBE on pine. Results show profit at a 3 percent level of interest with the exception of treatment program with more than 4 treatments all together and with the exception of Västerbottens Län with an early first treatment. Version II.: The population of moose decrease from 10 to 5 individuals per 1000 ha as a consequence from large scale treatment with BBE on young pine stands.

The background to this study is that the forest company, Holmen, has found large discrepancies between harvested volume and the measured volume at the industry. Factors like bark features, breakage, double tops, bends and stem damages was noted, and all stems were measured manually. Hypothesis testing with the method "random in pairs" were used to examine whether the harvester measured values significantly differed from the manually measured. The result of a properly calibrated harvester shows in average underestimation of the volume with Skogforsk Pine as a bark function. This means that the harvester isn´t the reason why the volume measured in the industry is lower, the fault is elsewhere. The study also indicates a need for a unique bark function for logepole pine..

The use of renewable resources is rapidly increasing in Sweden, especially the use of fuel pellets. Through pelletizing the energy content per volume unit is greatly increased and the pellets are more homogeneous with regard to moisture content, particle size and density compared to unrefined fuels like forest residues and chips. For further development of the Swedish pellet industry, the use of different assortments from Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia) is of particular interest, mainly because of its high volume production.

The aim of this study is to describe a number of type stands of lodge pole pine in Norrbotten with respect on stem volume and total biomass. Further questions to answer is if there is stand characteristics that make the stands more suitable for pulpwood in early thinning, or if it is better to apply whole tree harvest. The study shall also give an indication if bio energy can be an economical interesting alternative for Sveaskog. Sampled trees represented the variation in the different stands. Five trees were selected from each stand to represent that stand. Stem volume and biomass (kg dry weight (DW) per hectare) for each fraction was calculated.

The aim for the study was to examine a harwarder´s (combined harvester-forwarder) productivity when harvesting forest fuel in first thinning stands that contains Lodgepole pine and calculate the economy of the harvesting work and estimate the quality of the thinning . The field study area where located near Arvån, about 15 kilometres south ?east from the city of Lycksele. The field studies were taken place in three different stands. All tree stands had the same tree age, but the tree species combination and the density varied.

Nowadays the majority of the thinnings made in Swedish forests are done by machines, harvesters and forwarders. The most common model in thinning with a harvester is strip-road operated thinning and stand-operated thinning with one intermediate passage between the strip-roads. This study is a time study with some quality follow ups on a strip-road operated thinning model, a stand-operated thinning model with one intermediate passage between the strip-roads and a stand-operated thinning model with two intermediate passages between the strip-roads. The machines in the study were a small harvester (Forestline MPM C90) and a medium sized forwarder (Timberjack 1110). The study was made in Litsnäset outside the city of Östersund in Sweden and was made during the autumn 2007. In a Lodgepole pine stand six study units (0,6 ha) were thinned with the three different models, two study units per model.

Swedish sawmills of today suffer from unsatisfying economy with high costs and low benefits. The economical result depends on how well the sawmill can use their raw material. Iggesund Timber AB, a sawmill in the Holmen group, produces a large amount is enduse orientated products for the woodworking industry. Therefore the aim of this student thesis was to investigate the possibility of automatic enduse orientated quality grading of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) saw logs by using a gamma-ray log scanner. Iggesund Timber AB has the possibility to grade logs automatically with TINA, a two way gamma-ray log scanner. Grading and classification of Scots Pine logs in Sweden today are mainly manual but can in some rare cases be automatic.

The purpose of this study was to develop two types of prediction models for Scots Pine and Norway Spruce. The first type for calculation of the stump diameter under bark the year the tree reached breast height (Dstubh130). The second type for calculation of the annual difference, e.g. the number of growth years between stump height (0.2 m) and breast height (1.3 meters above ground level). The primary thought with these prediction models is to obtain the breast height age in the trees on basis of the number of annual rings at stump.

Sweden has today the highest moose (Alces alces) population in the world. The population has been very high since the late seventies and in the beginning of the eighties there was a big ?moose explosion?. The main food source for moose during the winter is young pine (Pinus sylvestris) and birch (Betula spp.). The high moose population has therefore lead to high damage on pine forests over big areas.

Large amounts of birch-timber are imported to Sweden, from particularly the Baltic States, since the domestic production can?t support the pulp industry. The goal of this study was to show the potential of birch and the area?s most suitable for birch production. The study was limited to Gävleborg County. Using site characteristics, site index (SI) for birch was estimated on all National Forest Inventory plots in Gävleborg County.