Today?s forest managers implement a large number of methods to increase the amount of dead wood in Swedish forests. They use everything from high cutting of trees to girdling trees and burning forests. However, implementation of these measures without proper knowledge of their consequences is a common problem. This study has been performed to increase knowledge about two of these measures, girdling and high cutting, and how these actions affect the number of wood-living insects living on dead trees.

The global wood pellet market has seen a rapid growth after the adoption of the Kyoto protocol and the renewable energy incentives created within the European Union. The global consumption of wood pellets reached 13,5 million tonnes in 2010 and several experts estimate the consumption to be between 35-50 million tonnes by 2020. These forescasts raise the questions which regions that can supply this vast amount of wood pellets and what the conditions are for producing it. This study evaluates the conditions for wood pellet production and export from British Columbia, on Canada?s west coast, focusing on existing industry structure, raw material supply and the distribution chain.