The world?s population reached more than 6.9 billion people in July 2011. It is expected that the population growth during the next 40 years will take place mostly in low-income countries and the population increase will be 2.3 billion people during 2011-2050. A rapid urbanization is also expected to result in 57.7 per cent of Africa?s population living in urban areas in 2050.

Sweden has almost 600 000 hectares planted with lodgepole pine, and large areas are soon ready to be clear-felled. The provenances that have been planted are producing high level of permanently closed, so called serotinous, cones. In their natural setting, the Canadian boreal forest, these cones are opened mainly after crown fires when the heat make the resin between the cone scales melt, which releases the seeds. This is viewed as an adaption to the fire regimes that prevail over the natural distribution area of lodgepole pine. Because of the short flame-exposure that occurs in a crown fire, the seeds can survive.