Jonas Ardö

With two centuries of forestry, natural forests in boreal Sweden
are rare and strongly fragmented. Hence, restoration aiming to
improve conditions for forest biodiversity is needed. However,
to ensure landscape connectivity – where to restore is a critical
concern.
Our study objective was to identify connectivity forest that
through restoration support connectivity and biodiversity. The
study area covers the 1.3 million ha Vindelälven river mountain
to coast watershed and represent gradients of forest types and
conservation status. We 1) quantified the distribution of
connectivity forests, 2) identified where these are situated
relative to known high conservation value forests (HCVF), 3) determined sub-regional and 4) forest-type differences along
the watershed. We used a model that predicts the relative
likelihood of single hectares being HCVF. We assessed the
potential to enhance connectivity by inserting forest areas with
different probabilities of being HCVF and identified suitable
areas for restoration.
Existing HCVF in the mountain region has high functional
connectivity while for the inland and coastal regions, increasing
connectivity require that substantial areas become restored.
Only pine forests demonstrate a potential for functional
connectivity across the watershed. For other forest types, the
low abundance of connectivity forests strongly limits the
potential for functional connectivity.
Bibliography
Angelstam, P., Manton, M., Green, M., Jonsson, B. G.,
Mikusiński, G., Svensson, J., & Maria Sabatini, F. (2020).
Sweden does not meet agreed national and international forest
biodiversity targets: A call for adaptive landscape planning.
Landscape and Urban Planning BECC: Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate, 202.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.103838
Mikusinski, G., Orlikowska, E. H., Bubnicki, J. W., Jonsson, B.-
G., & Svensson, J. (2021). Strengthening the Network of High
Conservation Value Forests in Boreal Landscapes. Frontiers in
Ecology and Evolution, 8.
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-41230
Svensson, J. et al. (2023). Boreal forest landscape restoration
in the face of extensive forest fragmentation and loss. In:
Sustainable forest management of the boreal forest in the face
of climate change. Ed: Girona, M.M, H. Morin, S. Gaulthier &
Y. Bergeron. Springer Nature, Switzerland