Landscape simulation of large-scale introduction of fast-growing broadleaves

The project aims to investigate effects of large-scale introduction of fast growing broadleaves on production, harvests, the profitability of forest management, and on forest characteristics relevant to important ecosystem services at the landscape level. Among such characteristics are carbon stock, age-class and species distribution, stand structural attributes and recreational value index.

Two central factors in the investigation will be the temporal aspect of the introduction of fast growing broadleaves – the pace at which the current stands should be replaced with fast growing broadleaves – and the target proportion of the fast growing broadleaves in the landscape, subject to site suitability restrictions. The investigation will be carried out by means of simulating forest development under a series of fast growing broadleaves introduction scenarios for three representative case study areas of the size of 20 000–70 000 hectares productive forestland.

Simulations will be carried out using the forest decision support system Heureka equipped with new growth models for fast growing broadleaves by work package 2. The data on initial forest conditions will be acquired by combining remotely sensed data with data from the National Forest Inventory. 

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11/30/2022