Deciduous trees increasing in Sweden

The level of deciduous trees in Swedish forests is increasing, according to the Nordic Forest Owners’ Association.

The association cited the results of the national forest inventory undertaken by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, which shows deciduous trees now make up one-fifth (600 million m³) of the country’s timber resources.

The university’s research found that a more favourable attitude to deciduous trees had emerged since the severe storms – Gudrun and Per – which hit spruce forests in southern Sweden in 2005 and 2007 respectively.

Deciduous trees now enjoy their biggest share of Swedish forests since the 1920s, with aggregate annual growth of 121 million m³.