The proportion of noble hardwoods in Sweden may be increasing due to a warming climate, researchers believe.
According to the Nordic Forest Owners’ Association, beech researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences have found that acorn years, suitable for beech forest regeneration, have become more frequent and abundant during the last 35 years.
The span between acorn years since 1983 has never exceeded three years, which researchers believe is due to climate warming.
Currently noble hardwoods, including oak, beech, ash, elm, maple, basswood, hornbeam and wild cherry, constitute only 15% of all Swedish forests.
Six new Forest Facts publications about noble hardwoods have also been published by the university.
Meanwhile, the university has been awarded €700,000 by the EU for further co-ordinating forest monitoring in Europe.
The university will use the money for a new project aimed at uniting ICP Forest and ENFIN, the organisations tasked with improving co-operation between the forest inventory programmes of EU countries.
