report - under the cover of the swedish forestry model

8/4/2019 Report - Under the Cover of the Swedish Forestry Model

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Text: Malin Sahlin, Swedish Society for Nature ConservationLayout: Carina Grave-Mller, Swedish Society for Nature Conser vationCoverphoto: Hans SundstrmOther photos: Olli Manninen, Hans Sundstrm, Sebastian Kirppu, Frdric Forsmark, Bjrn Mildh, Ingvar Stenberg, Per-Erik Mukka, Malin Sahlin,Mikael Gudrunsson, Teppo Rm, Sini Saarela, Erik bergISBN: 978-91-558-0050-5Varunummer: 8 9541Stockholm 2011

The coverphoto show a cut down Salix caprea, a tree with high biological values. The S. caprea constitute a habitat for the threatened, red listedand protected wood living fungi Haploporus odorus, a species practically only found on the S. caprea. According to the certification FSC, S. ca-prea shall not be felled, but be considered as a nature value tree. The clear felling where this logged tree, inhabited by the protected H. odorus,was conducted by SCA in violation with the FSC-standard. Photo: Hans Sundstrm

Foreword 1

Introduction 2

The Swedish Forest Landscape Past and Present 3

The Swedish Forestry Model Depletes Forest Biodiversity 5

- Voluntarily Set Aside Areas 7- General Nature Consideration 7

- Certication - a Market Tool Failing to Saeguard Nature Values 8

Swedish Forest Industry has a Major Responsibility or the Extinction Debt 9

The Importance o Biodiversity 10

The use o Woody Biomass as Renewable Energy a Threat to Biodiversity? 12

The Swedish Forestry Model in Practice Case Studies 13

- SCA 14

- Sveaskog 17

- Bergvik Skog and Stora Enso 22

Discussion 27

Swedish Society or Nature Conservation Demands 29Reerences 30

Table of Contents


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1

Even though orests cover practically hal o Swedens land

mass there is a biodiversity crisis in the Swedish orests.

Since the 1950s the Swedish orestry industry has turned

enormous areas o pristine orests into vast oceans o

production landscapes and today, more than 90 per cent othe productive orests are aected by orest management.

Despite the act that only 5 percent o the natural old growth

orests with very high conservation values, known as core

sites, remain below the montane region, natural orests with

great importance or nature conservation are being clear

elled at an alarming rate, even by companies holding a cer-

tication that promises sustainable orestry. For our years,

the Swedish Society or Nature Conservation has documen-

ted the Swedish orestry model in practice. The result is very

discouraging; orests with documented high biodiversity

values are being slated or logging and oten clear elled, asare orests with Woodland Key Habitat Structures. We have

documented violations o the, so called, environmental

certications as well as the Forestry Act, together with de-

stroyed biotopes or red listed species. Despite this, Sweden

is considered to be prominent in the orestry sector, with a

good reputation or what is perceived as a sustainable

orestry. The Swedish orestry model is in reality contribu-

ting to growing monoculture in the orests, with clear cut-

ting as the deault method, soil scarication and the use o

non-native species.

The Swedish Red List o Species continues to grow; sti ll

we witness orests with biotopes or threatened, endangered,

as well as critically endangered species being logged. The

once vast areas o the pristine orests o Sweden have in thepast 60 years turned into large areas o young orests, not

yet ready to be logged. Thereore the remaining natural

orests are disappearing alarmingly ast .

In 2010 an agreement was made at the United Nation

conerence in Nagoya, stating that within 10 years, 17 per

cent o the land area in ecologically representative and

connected areas is to be protected. As the Swedish minis-

ter o environment has concluded, the biggest challenge in

Sweden wil l be the protection o 17 per cent o the produc-

tive orests. Still, the environmental movement received the

message rom Nagoya and the Swedish government withhope and expectations or the uture. In order to secure

these areas, there has to be a stop to the destruction o the

natural orests in Sweden - there is no time to wait.

Karin strm,

Vice President, Swedish Society or Nature Conservation

Foreword

Photo: Frdric Forsmark


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under the cover o the swedish orestry model

2

The year o 2010 was the year when the loss o biological

diversity should have been halted, according to the 2010

biodiversity target1. It was also the year when the Swedish

Species Inormation Centre presented the new Red List o

species, which concludes that the number o red listed spe-cies in orests has increased since 2005. As we are entering

2011, the year when the United Nations General Assembly

will launch the International Year o Forests2, only 5 per cent

o Swedish orests with very high nature conservation va-

lues, known as core sites, remain below the montane region.3

2011 is also a year when many natural orests with docu-

mented4 high biodiversity values in Sweden are at very high

risk o being clear elled.

Swedens orests have long had a rich biodiversity o spe-

cies that are adapted to the orest ecosystems that evolved

ater the melting o the inland ice, some 10 000 years ago. Inthese orests the conditions or the species were met, and or

thousands o years, the Swedish orests and their biodiver-

sity have developed naturally. The orests have experienced

both small and large-scale natural disturbances, such as

storm-ells, wild res, insect inestation and fooding

disturbance regimes that are essential or a healthy orest

ecosystem and create the necessary niches needed or the

surv ival o a range o species. Since the early 1900s, however,

modern orestry has suppressed and changed these natural

infuences drastically. At the same time the logging has in-

tensied in many areas. As a consequence there is a biodi-

versity crisis in the Swedish orests. The once vast and cohe-

rent areas o old growth boreal orests in the northern part

o Sweden are suering a major transormation due to rag-

mentation. The ormer large areas o deciduous orests in

the mid- and southern part o Sweden have almost disap-

peared within the last century.

This is all a result o modern orestry. There has been a

large-scale conversion rom the old growth and natural

orest areas to homogeneous tree plantations, where the

original tree species composition has been replaced by other

species and with trees o the same age. In part, these plan-tations consist o non-native species.

The Swedish orestry model is, by the orestry sector,

promoted nationally and internationally as being superior

by reason o its sustainable orestry methods. This model

recommends clear cutting as the deault method. It also al-

lows the systematic use o chemicals, soil scarication, plan-

tation orestry and non-native species. The age distribution

in the Swedish orests is very uneven, dominated by planted

production orests o the ages 0-80 years. Only a raction o

orests over 120 years old remain in the country. Even so,

these old orests are stil l being clear elled, every day, to eedthe industry with raw material. Since the late 1950s, when

the clear cutting epoch started, more than 90 per cent o the

productive orestland has been transormed.

We ace a huge challenge to save what is let o the biolo-

gical ly valuable orests and the orest biodiversity o Sweden.

At least 20 per cent o the orests need long-term protection

to secure the orest biodiversity, according to a long list o

leading scientists in the eld.5

This report is a sequel to the report Cutting the Edge

Te Loss of Natural Forests in Sweden(published in March

2010 by SSNC, (http://www.naturskyddsoreningen.se /up-

load/press/rapport-cutting-the-edge.pd), where some

background acts are presented. In line with that report,

SSNC argues that Sweden still has a long way to go beore

the orest biodiversity is secured. The threat to the natura l

orests is still acute. And very real.

Introduction


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3

The Swedish boreal orest is part o the conierous orest belt

south and north o the Arctic Circle. The orests evolved

when the thick inland ice started to melt, some 10 000 years

ago. For thousands o years natural disturbances such as

orest res, storms and fooding ormed the orest ecosys-tem. The Swedish natural orest landscape consisted, prior

to human impact, o orests in dierent age classes; rom

young orests born rom natural disturbances to old growth

orests. The latter has been estimated to cover approxima-

tely 40 to 60 per cent o the landscape prior to human im-

pact.6 This stands in stark contrast to the age distribution

in the orests o today where less than ve per cent are clas-

sied as old growth orests.7 Humans began using the o-

rests early to create settlements, or uel and implements,

charcoal etc. Smaller parts o the orest were elled in order

to make room or the agricultural development. The orest

ecosystem was aected but generally not spoiled, and large

coherent orests stil l dominated the country.In the middle o the 19th century, with the development

o the sawmill industry, the demand or raw timber grew

stronger, especially in the river valleys. Since then the ex-

ploitation o orests has increased, rst with selective met-

hods as high grading and later clear cutting. However, the

most devastating transormation o the landscape has taken

place mainly over the past 60 years. During the 20th century

the orests have been heavily shaped by industrialized orest

The Swedish Forest Landscape Past and Present

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

0-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-

1000h

a

Age (years)

Age distribution o productive orest 2005-2009

Source: Swedish National Forest Inventory.


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4

management.8 Today, methods such as large scale clear cut-

ting, plantation orestry, the introduction o exotic tree spe-

cies, soil scarication and the use o pesticides characterize

the Swedish orestry. Also, the rotation time or the majo-

rity o the orestland has shited rom several hundred years

to 60-80 years. In the 1960s and 1970s the clear cutting met-

hod ully replaced the less devastating dimensional cuttings

as the deault method with the result that large areas o na-

tural orests were turned into plantations, especially in the

northern part o Sweden. This implies large scale changes

within the natural orest dynamics with suppression o na-

tural orest res and short rotation time as well as orest

ragmentation and changes in structure such as the reduc-

tion o natural orests, declining components o hardwood

and dead wood.

As a result o this orest transormation, many indige-

nous orest species can no longer survive in the majority o

Swedish orest stands. Despite the act that more than 90

per cent o the orest has been transormed into managed

orests, Sweden has not yet managed to protect the last rem-

nants o the old-growth orests, nor saeguarded some o

the most threatened species. The remaining old-growth

orests are still being elled and due to the uneven age dist-

ribution in the orests, the industry has a predominant in-

terest in logging old orests. Since the introduction o large

scale orestry, Swedish orestry has mainly ocused on pro-

duction o coniers. To raise the production value o the

orest land, wet deciduous orests were drained and pestici-

des were used to benet the plantations o coniers. The

result is a crisis or many endangered species dependent on

deciduous orests.9 10

Srberget, municipality of Jokkmokk, County of Norrbotten. This area used to be part of the reindeer grazing land of the Sami. According to the Sami com-munity in the area large parts of the grazing land was clear felled in the 1980s, and a large storm felled the rest of the forest in 1991. The pichture is taken15 years after the storm, when Srberget had been further managed by removal of the stormfelled wood, soil scarification and plantation. The regenera-tion has not succeeded and the area is still unfit for reindeer grazing. Photo: Frdric Forsmark


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5

Under the terms o the Convention on Biological Diversity

(CBD), Sweden has made a commitment to protect biodi-

versity and to use natural resources sustainably. Sweden still

holds a large proportion o the remaining high conservation

value orests in the European Union (EU), and thereore hasa great responsibility to prevent the loss o orest biodiver-

sity within the EU. Sweden is considered to be at the ore-

ront in the orestry sector, and the Swedish orestry model

has a reputation or sustainable orestry methods interna-

tionally. This image o sustainability in todays use o the

orests in Sweden created and energetically promoted by

the industry itsel is highly misleading, however. The last

old-growth orests in the country are being logged at an

alarming rate. Homogenous plantations can never achieve

the diversity o the original orests that are disappearing.

The Swedish model is promoting a monoculture in the

orests. Also, despite the act that Sweden has signed inter-

national agreements committing not to spread alien speciesin the country, non-native tree species are being used on

more than 2.4 per cent o the productive orest land, repla-

cing the ormer old growth orests. In addition, an investi-

gation commissioned by the government proposes increased

production and intensive cultivation o orests, through

intensied ertilization, use o spruce clones and exotic spe-

cies to achieve these objectives.13 The proposal involves large

areas, a lmost 15 per cent o the productive orest in a orest

The Swedish Forestry Model Depletes Forest

Biodiversity

Example of the Swedish Forestry Model. A clear felling, performed by the state owned and FSC-certified company Sveaskog, of a natural forest in Norrbotten.

Photo: Bjrn Mildh


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6

ecosystem, much o which is already heavily degraded by

impoverishing orestry practices. Ater 100 years o inten-

sive orestry the orest landscape is predominantly compri-

sed o managed orests and plantations in various stages o

development rom clear cuts.14The Swedish Forest Policy rom 1993 states two equally

important targets: the production o raw orest material

and the preservation o biological diversity. The latter tar-

get is ormulated in detail in the environmental quality

objective Sustainable Forests. It states that the value o

woodlands or biological production must be protected, at

the same time as biodiversity, cultural heritage and re-

creational assets are saeguarded.15 The requirements o

the Swedish Forestry Act, regarding environmental issues,

are set very low but are based on a good dea l o responsibi-

lity rom the orestry sector. However, orests with high

conservation values are being logged as o today. Also, the

Act is ocused mainly on protable orest production rather

than on the two, equal objectives. The undaments o the

Swedish orestry model, regarding protection o biodiver-

sity in orests, rely on a combination o ormally protected

areas, voluntari ly set aside areas and general conservation

consideration measures in orest management.16 Also, the

state and state-owned companies are expected to take con-

siderable responsibility to preserve the natural values on

their own land holdings.17

Monoculture of the exotic species Pinus contorta in Norrbotten. Only some verysmall patches of natural forest remain in the landscape (seen on the ridge of thehill). Photo: Hans Sundstrm

Example of the Swedish Forestry Model. Clear felling, and soil scarification of a former natural pine forest in Vrmland, preformed by the forest company StoraEnso. Photo: Sebastian Kirppu


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7

Voluntarily Set Aside Forests

Signicant areas o woodland have been set aside or con-

servation purposes on a voluntary basis, in particular by the

larger landowners. However, or voluntarily set aside orests,

there is a considerable uncertainty about their quality andlong-term protection. Land owners certied by the Forest

Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme or the

Endorsement o Forest Certication (PEFC), are obliged to

keep a certain percentage set aside or protection, but there

is nothing to stop them rom exchanging one area or an-

other in order to log a previously set aside area.

Studies carried out by NGOs show that valuable set aside

areas with high conservation values on productive orest

land get exchanged18. Also, some o the set aside orests are

low productive orests with less economical value compared

to the more biological valuable, productive natural orests.

In regards to the orest Act, the low productive orests are

not allowed to be logged. Some orest owners have started

an evaluation o their set aside areas, since little is known

about their qualities even to the land owners. This evalua-

tion has long been requested by NGOs. There is, however,

no halt to the loggings o productive orests with documen-

ted high biological values during this evaluation. This is

very serious, given that more than hal o the long-term

protection within the environmental quality objective

Sustainable Forests is ounded on voluntary set asides ostill largely unknown biological qualities and importance.

General Nature Consideration

Mandatory by law, the general nature conservation consi-

derations in orestry include leaving buer zones along

watercourses and lakes and retaining single trees and

groups o trees on clear cuts in order to lie-boat speciesthat are dependent on the structures o the natural orest.

What long-term eect this nature consideration has on the

species is dicult to assess given that this has been a requi-

rement only since the mid-1990 s. A study carried out in 30

to 70 year old stocks shows that red listed species were ound

only on the retention trees let on the clear cuts.19 This study

also shows that very ew species had colonized the younger

trees, which, contrary to the trees in a natural orest, are

ast-growing and will be clear elled again within 60-100

years. General consideration, even though it constitutes an

important piece in the puzzle o sustainable orestry, can

never replace the values o the natural orest that is elled.

The retention trees that many red listed species depend on

will eventually decay, and the replacing, ast growing and

planted orest, oers no suitable habitat or the species to

survive on in the long-term. Also, the Swedish Forest

Agencys inventory program or monitoring progress

toward the environmental objective o 2009 shows that as

much as an average 29 per cent o the logged areas do not

ulll the low set requirements or nature conservation o

the Forestry Act.20

Srberget in Jokkmokk, County of Norrbotten. Photo: Frdric Forsmark.


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8

Certifcation - a Market Tool Failing to Saeguard

Nature Values

An essential undament o the Swedish orestry model is

reedom with responsibil ity. This implies that the autho-

rities, government and the orestry industry have a shared

responsibility to contribute to a sustainable society through

sustainable use o the orest.21 Simply put; all orest owners

have the reedom to decide how to manage their orests

within the rather wide ramework o the legislation. The

responsibility comes with preservation o the orest biodi-versity, which is a responsibility o all orest owners. Besides

the legislation, FSC and PEFC certication makes an im-

portant contribution to the improvement o overall envi-

ronmental awareness in logging.22 23 This is despite the act

that these systems are voluntary, and ar rom all land ow-

ners are certied.

Field studies carried out by NGOs or several years show

that a remarkable number o loggings do not ulll the cer-

tication standards key requirements or nature conserva-

tion.24 There are numerous examples o documented orests

with Woodland Key Habitat (WHK) structures and quali-

ties that are slated or logging by FSC-certied land owners,

in spite o the act that the FSC-certied companies have

declared that they will not conduct orestry within WHKs

or other purposes than to protect nature values. Another

criterion in the FSC-standard states that natural orests with

high nature values must not be elled.25 26 Despite this crite-

rion, SSNC has, or several years, documented hundreds o

natural orests with high nature values being slated or log-

ging as well as being elled.27 Regarding the PEFC standard,

the certication is no guarantee or protection o WKHssince the land owner is only obliged to set aside ve per cent.

Any WKH outside these ve per cent can be subject to log-

ging in accordance with the PEFC-standards criteria.

Although SSNC initiated FSC in Sweden some 15 years

ago, SSNC has now let the program.28 The decision was

based on the act that FSC-certied companies violate the

FSC standard without any eective measures taken by the

FSC or the accredited Certication Bodies (CB). These com-

panies even violate the weak Swedish Forestry Act. Despite

all the shortcomings o the large orest companies to com-

ply with the FSC-standard, the largest FSC certied com-panies in Sweden have joined orces to ormulate a common

position on certication issues to ensure that Swedish com-

ments rom the orestry sector will be considered in the

development o a new international FSC-standard.29

Woodland Key Habitat and FSC

Woodland Key Habitat (WKH) is a qualitative con-cept that is based on a combined assessment of thehabitat structure, species composition, history and

physical characteristics. WKHs have tremendoussignificance for the flora and fauna of the forests.They contain, or can be expected to contain, red-lis-ted species (source: Swedish Forest Agency). Unlikethe formally protected forests, the WKHs lack legalstatus, and are therefore not effectively protectedagainst logging. The national WKH Inventory (1993-1998 and 2001-2006) stated that only an estimated20 per cent of the WKHs have been identified.(Source: Swedish Forest Agency). Forest owners,certified by the FSC have committed to not logWKHs. (Source: www.fsc-sverige.org)

A FSC-certified clear cut of a former natural pine forest conducted by Sveaskog in Norrbotten. Photo: Bjrn Mildh


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That orestry has a negative impact on orest biodiversity is

an established act. Destruction o important habitats or

species naturally results in enormous consequences or the

species dependent on these habitats. However, not all

organisms die immediately ater their habitat hasdisappeared. Extinction occurs with a certain delay.30 This

is reerred to as extinction debt, and it may lead one to the

conclusion that species richness is stable in an environment

where certain species in act are doomed to extinction due

to habitat loss.31 During the 20th century the orests have

been increasingly shaped by industrialized management

that has resulted in a landscape where only minor parts have

the maintained traits characteristic o old growth orests.32

As a result o this orest transormation, many indigen-

ous orest species can no longer survive in the majority o

Swedish orest stands.33 Species are pushed back into

shrinking isolated islands o natural orests in the

production landscape. For nature conservation the

phenomenon o extinction debt poses new challenges,

especially in regions like old growth boreal orests in which

large areas o natural habitats have been lost in recent

decades. In such regions, many species can go extinct long

ater the destruction o habitats has been stopped.34 Even

though the loss o biodiversity should have been halted in

2010, the Red List o orest living species in Sweden has

increased since 2005. O the total o 4127 red listed species

in Sweden today, 2131 species are orest living (51.6 per

cent), and o these, 1787 are entirely dependent on orests.35

The species loss in the orests is primarily caused by orestry

practices through direct loss o habitat and through

indirect eects o orestry such as ditching or mechanical

damages rom orestry machines and transport.

In 2009, SCA logged a WKH in Jmtland, failing to identify the forests ob-vious high nature values. Photo: Hans Sundstrm

The Red List

The Red List presents the extinction risk facing diffe-rent species. The 2010 Swedish Red List is the result

of an evaluation of the survival chances of almost 21000 Swedish species. The species which are categori-zed as threatened are the ones that have met the cri-teria CR, EN or VU. The Red List is based on the post1993 IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. The cate-gorical structure of the Red List is as follow (source:Swedish Species Information Centre);

RE Regionally ExtinctCR Critically EndangeredEN Endangered

VU VulnerableNT Near ThreatenedLC Least ConcernDD Data Deficient

Swedish Forest Industry has a Major Responsibility

for the Extinction Debt


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1

Biodiversity is the degree o variation o all orms o lie on

Earth and within a g iven ecosystem. Even i there is a natu-

ral selection within and between species, all species depend

on the services provided by other species to survive. It is a

kind o unplanned cooperation which is oten reerred to asa balanced ecosystem. For the assessment o biodiversity,

three attributes are considered36:

Composition describes the parts o each biodiversity

component in that area (or example, habitat types,

species present, genetic diversity within species).

Structure reers to the physical characteristics sup-

porting that composition (or example, size o habitats,

orest canopy structure, etc).

Function means the ecological and evolutionary pro-

cesses aecting l ie within that structure (or example,

pollination, natural disturbances, predator-prey rela-tionships)

The complexity o biodiversity is measured in terms o

variations at genetic, species and ecosystem levels and the

Earths biodiversity is in a constant state o fux.37 Ecosystems

provide direct benets like the recycling o essential ele-

ments, such as carbon, oxygen, water and nitrogen which

play a critical role in meeting human needs on which our

survival depends. In a properly unctioning ecosystem the

components are inseparable and act upon each other.38

Biodiversity is also crucial or mitigating pollution, protec-

ting watersheds, and combating soil erosion. It is, o course,

also the origin o agricultural crops as well as medicines etc.

Biodiversity can also buer against excessive variations inweather and climate as well as protect us rom catastrophic

events beyond human control.39 The biodiversity is main-

taining vital processes, and the extinction o each additional

species brings the irreversible loss o unique genetic codes,

the result o an evolutionary process over millions o years.

The rate o species extinction, the most common measure

o biodiversity loss, has never been higher. We are in the

middle o the sixth mass extinction on Earth, the only one

caused by one single species. Virtually al l o the loss is cau-

sed by human activities, mostly through habitat destruction

and overhunting. By threatening and overexploiting theecosystem - and thus, the biodiversity - we are threatening

our own existence.

Critically Endangered Antrodia crassaThe wood living ungus speciesAntrodia crassa is ound on

no more than approximately 20 localities in Sweden. The

species grow in unevenly aged, natural conier orests (pre-

erably pine) that are untouched or only marginally aected

by human activities.40 The species lives exclusively on coar-

se, burnt conier dead wood. The total number o the species

in the country has been reduced, and is expected to decline

urther due to decreasing supply o substrate needed.41 The

total number oA. crassa is estimated to have declined more

than 15 per cent over the last 20 years as a consequence o

its biotopes being clear elled by the orest industry.42 Since

habitats or theA. crassa is still being elled, the number will

most likely continue to decline. Despite recommendations

rom the Species Inormation Centre, that all known occur-

rences o theA. crassa must be protected, areas with docu-

mented ndings o the species are sti ll being elled. SSNC

have documented localities with the species that, in spite othe land owners awareness o the species presence, have

been logged.

Antrodia crassa. Photo: Olli Manninen

In The Importance of Biodiversity


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11

Critically Endangered Pycnoporellus alboluteusPycnoporellus alboluteus is a wood living ungus with very

specic requirements since it demands virgin like, highly

productive spruce orests.43 Unortunately, highly produc-tive spruce orests are also o a great economic interest to

the orest industry. The species is known to be ound in

seven localities in Sweden, all o which are protected. The

acute threat to the species stil l remains, however, since their

orest habitat is very rare outside reserves in Sweden due to

the modern orestry the lack o suitable habitats in the

orest landscape is alarming.44

Critically Endangered Dendrocopos leucotosThe white-backed woodpecker, Dendrocopos leucotos, is

among the most endangered species in Sweden. This specia-

lized species also serves as an umbrella species or more than

200 other dierent red listed species linked to the same ha-

bitat; deciduous old growth orests. Research has shown that

a number o red listed cryptogam species expected to bene-

t rom conservation actions directed at the white-backed

woodpecker habitats where the woodpecker bred is higher

compared to where it was absent.45 The white-backed wood-

pecker has drastically and rapidly declined over the last de-

cades. Earlier it was widespread within 17 o Swedens 24

counties, today there are only approximately 10 individuals

to be ound in the whole country.

46 47

The species aces extin-ction i measures are not taken immediately. The primary

reason or the decline in Sweden is due to the large scale

transormation o the orest landscape by modern orestry.48

The vast areas o deciduous orests with a high amount o

dead wood, vital to the white-backed woodpecker, have

within the last decades been replaced by monocultures o

coniers. Despite a national action program or the white-

backed woodpecker with protection and restoration o ha-

bitats, the species is still on the verge o extinction.

Umbrella Species

The concept of an umbrella species has been used by

conservationists to provide protection for other speciesdependent on the same habitat as the umbrella species.Animals identified as umbrella species typically have lar-ge home ranges that cover multiple habitat types.Therefore, protecting the umbrella species effectivelyprotects habitat types and the many species that dependon those habitats.

National Species Action Program

Some species and biotopes are threatened to the extentthat immediate measures are needed for their survival.For these species or biotopes, national action plans are

established with specifically targeted efforts. The actionplan is not formally binding but indicates measuresneeded for species survival.

To the left: The critically endangered white backed woodpecker. Only, ap-proximately, 10 individuals are to be found in Sweden and the species isfacing extinction if measures are not taken immediately. Photo: IngvarStenberg

Below: The Pycnoporellus alboluteus(seen on the lying dead spruce)needs virgin like highly productive spruce forests for their survival. Due tothe modern forestry and the high demand on raw material, this type offorest is very rare in the landscape of Sweden. Photo: Hans Sundstrm


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12

The demand or woody biomass or the production o bio-

uel is increasing. The EU Renewable Energy Directive,

agreed at the end o 2008, requires that 20 per cent o the

EUs energy consumption be derived rom renewable sour-

ces by 2020.

49

60 per cent o the EUs renewable energy pro-duction is based on biomass, 80 percent o this biomass is

wood.50 Today, the orests deliver 17 per cent o the energy

consumed in Sweden, including residues such as tops and

branches (GROT).51 Until recently the stumps rom logged

trees were considered economically insignicant. Today

there is a growing interest in stumps rom the government

or its potential as energy source, as well as the industry or

its economical value. Seen in the light o the act that natu-

ral orests are being logged at an alarming rate in Sweden,

this potential energy source raises a new potential threat to

the orest biodiversity.Swedish silviculture o today has a signicant impact on

the orest ecosystem with well-known negative consequen-

ces or biodiversity and social values. I the government adopts the proposal o intensied orestry,52 including har-

vesting o stumps, additional stress wil l be put on the envi

ronment. Also, residues might be used as an additional

source o biomass. Dead wood, however, is an important

habitat to various red listed and endangered species in the

orest ecosystem. Ater a logging, it is o greatest importan-

ce that dead wood is let on the clear cut or the potential

lie-boating o these species. The importance o stumps or

biodiversity and species must be taken into consideration

when discussing the extent o harvesting o stumps. Stumps

rom elling o natural orests should never be harvested.

Approximately 60 per cent o the coarse dead wood in the

orest landscape is derived rom elling o trees.53 These

stumps represent habitats or many insect species which

would, with an increased harvesting o stumps, be likely to

lose large quantities o vital substrate. Harvesting o stumps

would also involve the use o heavy machines which may

cause considerable disruption that could lead to soil erosion

and depletion.54

It may also negatively aect the carbonbalance as well as the fow o emissions,55 such as the relea-

se o mercury in the water streams.

Harvesting of stumps from a clear felled natural forest in Jmtland. TheSwedish Church own the land and are responsible for the devastating ef-fects on the natural environment due to massive soil damage, loss of habi-tats for red listed species and the felling of a natural forest in an alreadyfragmented landscape. Photo: Hans Sundstrm

The Boreal Forests Massive Carbon Stores

Research has shown that old growth boreal forestsconstitute an enormous carbon bank, storing largeramounts of carbon than any other terrestrial eco-system.56 Canadian scientists recommend that atleast half of the global boreal forests should be pro-tected in order to mitigate climate change.57

Approximately twice as much carbon is stored in theground as above in the boreal forests. The cutting ofold growth forests, with the accompanying soil sca-rification used in the Swedish forestry model, willrelease carbon from the ground to the atmosphereas carbon dioxide. Even so, the forestry sector ar-gues that clear cutting followed by replanting is oneof the solutions to reduce the emissions of green-

house gases in Sweden.58

The use of Woody Biomass as Renewable Energy

a Threat to Biodiversity?


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13

SSNC has or several years, in the eld, reviewed the orestry

practices in Sweden with regard to nature conservation

consideration as well as the enorcement o the legislation

and certication. The purpose o the eld visits is to map

orests with high conservation values with the overall ob-jective to save as much o the remaining natural orests as

possible. The eld investigations have mainly been ocused

on the large orest companies in Sweden, but some small

holders have also been reviewed. More than 700 threatened

natural orests have been visited by SSNC since 2007. The

majority o the orests visited have been slated or logging

or already logged at the time o the visit. The eld studies

ocus on mid- and northern Sweden since there still are

some coherent boreal orests let in these regions. The do-

cumentation ocuses mainly on orest structure and the

occurrence o old growth orest indicators and red listedspecies. Many o the species ound are threatened directly

by the drastic changes in Swedish woodland habitats.59 Still,

their habitats are being slated or logging as well as being

logged systematically. The ndings have been documented

with GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates and the

orests structure and history have been documented and

thoroughly photographed. Despite the core principles o

Swedish orest policy, in which the dual targets or environ-

ment and production, respectively, are equally important,

and orest sector responsibility, which holds the landow-

ner responsible or adjusting

their orestry operations so as to minimize the negative

impact on the natural environment the majority o the

visited and documented orests slated or logging have or

had high conservation values. This is unacceptable, espe-

cial ly considering how ew high quality orests there are let

in Sweden today. The orest companies as well as the Swedish

Forest Agency and County Administrative Boards have

been inormed o the nature values ound in the orests by

SSNC; still many o the visited areas have been, or are plan-

ned to be, logged.The orestry practices o three o the largest orest com-

panies in Sweden: SCA, Sveaskog and Stora Enso will be

accounted or in the ollowing pages. This does not relieve

other orest companies o their responsibility or the nega-

tive impact on the natural environment that the orest in-

dustry has caused within the last decades. Among the other

companies and orest owners reviewed are Holmen SkogAB, Korsns, the National Property Board, the Church o

Sweden, Weda Skog, Mellanskog, Prima Skog, Norrskog,

Norske Skog, Lima Forest Commons and Orsa Forest

Commons. In clear ellings conducted or initiated by all

these companies, SSNC has ound major deciencies in

nature consideration.

A threatened forest in Jmtland. The company Persson Invest has notifiedthe forest for clear felling. Practically no visible consideration was, at thetime of SSNCs visit, taken to the stream. Photo: Malin Sahlin

The Swedish Forestry Model in Practice

Case Studies


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A service road built by SCA through a forest on Brntkullarna that, determined by the Swedish Forest Agency, is a WKH. SCA had planned to clear cut thevaluable forest. Photo: Olli Manninen

SCA

SCA is an international company which primarily develops

consumer products such as personal hygiene articles and tis-

sue paper. SCAs largest markets are ound in Germany, Great

Britain, France, USA and Sweden. Products such as Tena,

Libero, Tork, Libresse, Bodyorm, Danke and Edet are all

produced by SCA and certied by FSC.60 SCA has a long his-

tory o poor nature consideration including loggings o WHK

and orests o high conservation value, as well as the elling o

nature value trees and poor consideration to red listed spe-

cies.61 In 2009 and 2010, SCA initiated several measures in

order to conduct their loggings in a more sustainable ashion

and to comply with their own sustainability strategy as well

as the FSC-standard. The results rom eld studies on SCA

landholdings show, however, these measures to be ar rom

satisy ing. SCA still, in 2010, noties orests with WKH struc-

tures or logging, cut down nature value trees and ail to re-

cognize nature values when planning orests or logging.

SCA, Brntkullarna - County o Vsterbotten

In the summer o 2010, a local branch o SSNC, in the mu-nicipality o Vilhelmina, discovered a beautiul, spruce do-

minated, old-growth orest which had been notied or log-

ging. The orest consists o a largely primeval spruce orest

with very high conservation values.62 During SSNCs eld

visit over 200 ndings o 39 dierent red listed and endange-

red species were ound. Much o the orest held woodland

key habitat eatures, something that is conrmed by the

Swedish Forest Agency. Despite these high values, SCA had

already cleared some o the orest in order to build a service

road into the core o the area. Also, the company had opened

the possibility o establishing a rock quarry in the orest.

Over the years, SCAs has FSC accredited certication

body (CB) has repeatedly reprimanded the company or

ailing to preserve WKHs. The most recent occasion was in

2009, when SCA logged a WKH, as well as many other o-

rests o high conservation values, proving that the com-

pany still ai ls to recognize the values that it, through cer-

tication, has undertaken to protect. As a result o the a larm

raised by SSNC, there is now an ongoing discussion between

SCA and the County Administrative Board to orm a na-

ture reserve in the area o Brntkullarna. SSNC has led a

ormal complaint to FSC regarding the orest road builtstraight through a woodland key habitat.


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SCA, Andsjn County o Jmtland

SCA has a long history o not complying with the criteria

and principles o the FSC-standard. Since 2007 SSNC has

documented several clear ellings where the company hasailed to comply with the standard by cutting down nature

value trees logged several WKH.63 In the FSC audit o 2007,

SCA received two major CARs, the most serious complaint

a FSC accredited CB can raise, as a result o the companys

lack o nature consideration at loggings. They were raised

ater SCA had cut down several nature value trees and log-

ged a WKH. In 2009, SSNC discovered several logging sites

where SCA had logged hundreds o nature value trees with

re induced bole scars in violation o the FSC-standard, as

well as a logged WKH and primeval orest. Despite theirblatant violations o the FSC-standard, SCA did not lose

their certicate and in the summer o 2010, at Andsjn, in

the municipality o re, county o Jmtland, SSNC disco-

vered an ongoing logging where SCA was in the process o

cutting down several nature value trees. Once again SSNCs

conservationists had to witness the destruction o a biolo-

gically valuable orest by SCA. Parts o the trees, elled in

violation o FSC rules, were transported rom the site or

industrial purposes.

SCA, Lngsjn - County o Norrbotten

In the municipality o Arjeplog SCA has clear elled almost

30 hectares o natural pine orest. SSNC visited the orest,

beore it got elled, in the summer o 2010. The orest had

visible traces o old orest res and held an abundance o

lying dead wood, crucial or many threatened and endange-

red species. During SSNCs eld visit the critical ly endange-

red speciesAntrodia crassa was documented. SCA was no-

tied on the orests high nature values but decided to clear

ell the orest despite the act o the orests importance as a

habitat or a critically endangered species. Forests with do-

cumented occurances o endangered species are oten slated

or logging, and logged by SCA. Lngsjn is only one o the

many examples SSNC has gathered through the years.64

A cut down tree with high biodiversity values at the site of Andsjn, loggedin 2010. SCA failed to recognize the many nature value trees on this log-ging site, as they have done for several years on many logging sites. Onceagain SCA failed to comprise the FSC-standard. Photo: Hans Sundstrm

In this natural pine forest in Norrbotten, SSNC documented the criticallyendangered species Antrodia crassa. The land owner, SCA, was notified of

the finding, but ignored the fact that the forest was a suitable habitat forthe A. crassa and clear felled it. Photo: Per-Erik Mukka


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Krktjrn, Hrnsand Municipality, County o VsternorrlandAt Krktjrnen, SCA has notified a forest with very high preservation va-lues for clear felling. SCA has failed to recognize threatened species suchas Usnea longissima a species dependent on the fores t surrounding it.U. longissima will not survive a clear cut. At Krktjrn, SSNC documented504 findings of 19 different redlisted species. Photo: Hans Sundstrm

More examples o SCAs orestry practice ound in 2010:Hllands-Nyvallen, re Municipality, County o Jmtland.At Hllands-Nyvallen, SCA has clear felled a natural forest with preser-vation values, and driven heavy machinery through wet areas causingirreversible damage to the fragile soil. Photo: Hans Sundstrm


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The forest of Guttukojan before it got clear felled by Sveaskog, whom, despitethe knowledge of the forests high preservation values, logged the forest.Photo: Olli Manninen

Sveaskog

Sveaskog, a state-owned company, is the largest orest owner

in Sweden. It is also the owner o vast areas o high conser-

vation value orests, many o which are not ormally protec-

ted despite the act that they are owned by the state.65

Sveaskog has approximately 20 per cent o their orests set

aside or nature conservation, which exceeds any other o-

rest company by ar, although 7,5 per cent o them consists

o general considerations taken at loggings (eg. separate

trees let on clear cuts as well as protection zones near sho-

relines and along streams), mandatory by law. SSNC and

other NGOs have, or several years, documented orests

with very high conservation values slated or logging by

Sveaskog. The company has been notied o the biologicalvalues o the orests, but has in several cases ignored these

and ollowed through their logging plans. Areas with docu-

mented ndings o endangered species have been logged

despite Sveaskogs knowledge prior to the elling. Besides

orestry, Sveaskog is also selling orests. During 2010, SSNC

documented several controversial land sales o orests with

high conservation values, oten adjacent to protected areas.

These biologically valuable orests are now subject to clear

ellings.

Despite Sveaskogs high ambitions in the eld o nature

conservation, SSNCs eld investigations show that thecompanys orestry practices in areas with endangered spe-

cies and high biological values are not sustainable and do

not comply with the FSC criteria.

Sveaskog, Guttukojan County o Dalarna

Guttukojan in the municipality o lvdalen was visited by

SSNC in 2008. The orest had high conservation values in

terms o, or example, endangered species, biologically im-

portant dead wood and, in some areas, WKH qualities.

Sveaskog was well aware o the orests nature values, and

had been given the coordinates or each o SSNCs observa-

tions o red listed species. However, Sveaskog decided to

ignore these acts and logged Guttukojan. In 2010, SSNC

revisited the logged site and ound numerous breaches o

the FSC-standard. Sveaskog had destroyed dead wood in

areas where they had rst hand inormation on sitings o

red listed species. Also, they had logged areas with WKH

structures. In an answer to SSNC regarding the violations

o the FSC-standard on the clear elling at Guttukojan,

Sveaskog claimed to have conducted the logging in a good

manner with no breaches to the FSC standard. SSNC hasled a ormal complaint to Sveaskogs CB.

In 2010, SSNC revisited the logged site at Guttukojan and found numerousbreaches of the FSC-standard. Sveaskog claim to have conducted the destruc-tion of Guttukojan in good manner. Photo: Hans Sundstrm


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Sveaskog, Abborrtjrnen County o DalarnaAbborrtjrnen is located in the municipality o lvdalen,

where SSNC has perormed extensive eld visits to

Sveaskogs land holdings since many pine orests with high

biological values have been notied or clear elling, as well

as logged in the area lately. Abborrtjrnen is one o these

orests, visited by SSNC in 2008. SSNC ound Abbortjrnen

to be a dry pine orest with a good continuity and abun-

dance o dead wood. Endangered species were ound within

the notied orest where SSNC documented altogether n-

dings o 16 dierent red listed species. Sveaskog was inor-

med o the high nature values o the orest but, as in the case

o Guttukojan, ignored the values and went through with

their logging as planned, without even conducting a reeva-

luation o the orests values. In 2010, SSNC revisited the site

and ound that Sveaskog again had ailed to comply with

several criteria in the FSC-standard. Sveaskog had also se-

verely damaged the soil by driving heavy orest machinery

on ragile soil. SSNC has led a ormal complaint to the CB

or the logging o Abborrtjrn since Sveaskog claims that

they have not violated any criteria o the FSC-standard.

In the forest at Abborr tjrn SSNC found endangered species in 2008. The forest held high conservation values and should never have been felled.Photo: Teppo Rm

In 2010 SSNC visited the logged site at Abborrtjrn where Sveaskog, de-spite the knowledge of the coordinates of the red listed species, decidedto log the forest. Photo: Hans Sundstrm


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At Drevfjllet, Sveaskog sold a pine forest above the nature conser vationboarder with high preservation values. The forest is also adjacent to theDrevfjllet Nature Reserve. The forest is now notified for logging by thenew owner. Photo: Olli Manninen


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Sveaskog land sales, Juvan County o Jmtland

Sveaskog claims to observe special nature consideration

with regard to valuable orests. SSNC has, however, docu-

mented sales o several high conservation value orests by

Sveaskog. These orests would have been dicult to clearcut without violating the FSC-standard.66 Juvan is just one

example o the controversial land sales by Sveaskog which

SSNC discovered during our eld inventories in 2010. This

orest is now clear elled. The orest at Juvan a pine orest

with high conservation values was located adjacent to the

National Park o Sonjllet in the municipality o Hrje-

dalen. The service road was built in an area o WKH qua-

lity, and parts o the orest which was still standing by the

time o the visit, were primeval with very litt le visible evi-

dence o human activities. On the logged site SSNC docu-

mented numerous elled nature value trees with re induced

bole scars as well as numerous red listed species exposed and

let to die on the site. Due to the land sale o Juvan, the large,

coherent wilderness area, o which Sonjl let National Park

is a part, has been ragmented on its northeastern border.

Other controversial land sales conducted by Sveaskog

include pine orests in the county o Dalarna, as seen on the

previous page, where the company sold biologically valuable

orests adjacent to nature reserves and above the nature

conservation border where Sveaskog normally only engages

in limited orestry. These areas are now acutely threatenedto be clear elled since they already are slated or logging by

the new owner.

The logging site of the biologically valuable forest at Juvan. Sveaskog sold the forest to a private landowner. The company Mellanskog, who claim to not logWKHs, clear felled the fores t that held clear WKH structures. Photo: Olli Manninen

By the time of SSNCs visit to Juvan, some of the forest was still standing.SSNC notified Mellanskog on the high biodiversity values of the forest.Despite this, Mellanskog clear felled also this forest. Photo: Olli Manninen


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More examples o Sveaskogs orestry practice in 2010Frnberget, lvdalen Municipality, County o Dalarna

At Frnberget Sveaskog has notified two forests for clear felling. Theforests are both adjacent to the Lngfjllet Nature Reserve and above thenature conservation boarder. During SSNCs field visit to the two areas,more than 180 findings of more than 20 different red listed species weredocumented. The bird on the pichture is the red listed Perisoreus inaustus,a bird dependent on old growth forests. In the background, a plantation ofthe exotic species Pinus contorta is visible. Further fragmentation to thisvaluable forest area is at high risk since Sveaskog does not consider the fo-rests to be valuable enough to set aside. Photo: Sini Saarela

Grnjsvlen, lvdalen Municipality, County o DalarnaIn the acutely threatened forest at Grnjsvlen, Sveaskog has planned toclear cut more than 50 hectares of natural forest. SSNC visited the forestin 2010 and documented more than 150 findings of 23 different red listedspecies. The endangered species Pulsatilla vernaliswas documented inthe threatened forest. Sveaskog has failed to recognize the forests highpreservation values during the planning. Photo: Erik berg


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Bergvik Skog and Stora Enso

Stora Enso is the worlds leading manuacturer o paper,

packaging and wood products with production acilities in

more than 35 countries. Stora Enso does not own orest in

Sweden but buy wood rom private orest owners andBergvik Skog. The majority o the logging in Bergvik Skogs

orests is carried out by Stora Enso. Both companies are

FSC-certied, but since Bergvik owns the orest, they are

also responsible or the actions on their land holdings. For

several years SSNC have discovered that Stora Enso almost

systematically slates orests with WKH qualities or logging.

NGOs have alerted both companies about high conserva-

tion value orests which have been planned or logging.

However, these alerts have not always been heeded and

Stora Enso has carried on with their logging plans and clear

elled orests o high biological values. Also, during 2010,

Stora Enso has ai led to comply with Swedish legislation;

they have, or example, logged in a habitat protection area,

logging a site without permit rom the Swedish Forest

Agency. They have also cut trees in a ormally protected

nature reserve.67 68 69

Bergvik Skog and Stora Enso, Stamboknlen

County o Vrmland

In the municipality o Torsby, Stora Enso has clear el led 64

hectares o valuable spruce orest surrounded by woodlandkey habitats on Bergvik Skogs land holdings. In 1999 the

orest was designated as a voluntary set aside by Stora Enso,

due to its high nature values. Ten years later the orest had

been clear elled. A eld visit to the logged site revealed se-

veral breaches o the FSC-standard which both companies

has committed to comply with. Nature value trees were el-led, trees with red listed species were elled and extensive

soil damage was documented. The logging o Stambo-

knlen was perormed right up to one o the adjacent wo-

odland key habitats, and some o the elled orest held the

same values and structures as this adjoining area. SSNC has

led a ormal complaint to FSC regarding these breaches.

Despite the high nature values lost, as well as the soil da-

mage, Stora Enso argues that the logging was conducted in

a proper manner.

Habitat Protection AreaA relatively small area of land or water that provideshabitat for plants or animals threatened with extin-ction, or which is worthy of protection for someother reason. Commercial activities that might da-mage the natural environment may not be conduc-ted on such sites. The Swedish Forest Agency deci-des on the establishment of habitat protection areason forest land, although county administrativeboards also are empowered to do so. In most cases,this kind of protection is used to protect WKH

During the logging of the valuable natural forest at Stamboknlen, Stora Enso caused large damage to the wet forest f loor, and also drove heavy machine-ry through their own conservation area. At the inspection of the site, several breaches to the FSC-standard s principles on nature conservation were docu-mented. Photo: Malin Sahlin


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Bergvik Skog and Stora Enso, Korskllstjrnen

County o Jmtland

At Korskllstjrnen in the municipality o Hrjedalen,

Stora Enso has slated 49 hectares o beautiul pine orest or

logging. The orest contains an abundance o dead wood,important to many threatened species. The orest has never

been clear elled beore, and the sparse dimensional cuttings

some 100 years ago have not reduced the biodiversity o the

orest since many o the elled trees have been let in the

orest. Today these trees are habitats or many species, in-

cluding the endangered species Antrodia inrma which was

documented within the area Stora Enso planned to clear

cut. At the eld visit to the orest, SSNC documented an

impressive 210 ndings o 21 dierent red listed species.

Stora Enso has apparently ailed to recognize these high

values when planning the orest prior to logging since no

consideration areas was marked around the many substra-

tes where the red listed species were ound.

The endangered species Antrodia infirma was found at the planned site by Korskllstjrnen. Stora Ensos planners had not recognized the suitable habitatfor the species and the area around the finding is threatened to be clear felled. Photo: Olli Manninen

The threatened forest by Korskllastjrnen. Photo: Mikael Gudrunsson.


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Bergvik Skog and Stora Enso, Stamyrbergen

County o Vrmland

In the municipality o Torsby, Stora Enso has logged several

orests with high conservation values and many ndings o

red listed species. The area was part o a larger, coherent old-

growth orest area, which due to the extensive loggings that

has been conducted is rare within the municipality. The

orest was aected by re some 120 years ago and some his-

torical dimensional cuttings were documented, but these

had not aected the orests high biological values. SSNC

visited the area during the ongoing logging and ound 21

dierent red listed species in the orest. Old pine trees were

spread out in the area, and trees with ages ranging between

280 and 400 years were documented. Since large, coherent

orests are very rare in the county o Vrmland, Stamyrbergen

could have been a very valuable addition to Bergvik s volun-

tarily set aside orests. Unortunately Bergvik intends only

to set aside WKHs, since these cannot be logged within the

ramework o FSC. Since no WKHs were ormally registered

in the area the ecologically unctional and biologically va-

luable old-growth orest o Stamyrbergen was not prioritizedand was cut down in the summer o 2010.

The natural forest of Stamyrberget. This area is now clear felled. Stora Enso and Bergvik did not consider the forests preservation values and the coherent fo-rest area valuable enough to set aside despite the fact that there is a shortage of coherent natural forests in the County of Vrmland. Photo: Olli Manninen

The forest at Stamyrbergen could not be saved since Stora Enso did notconsider the area valuable enough to set aside. Photo: Olli Manninen


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More examples o Bergvik Skog and Stora Ensos orestry practice in2010

Stora Tomsjn, Hlleors Municipality, County o rebro

At the previous clear felling of a natural forest by Stora Tomsjn, Stora Ensohad left part of the forest. Leaving areas of the forest at clear felling is im-portant for the sake of nature consideration and to life-boat threatenedspecies. Photo: Swedish Society for Nature Conservation

When the logged site by Stora Tomsjn was revisited in october 2010,Stora Enso had felled the forest that was previously spared from logging,this time only leaving a few trees as nature consideration.Photo: Swedish Society for Nature Conservation


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To learn more about threatened and logged orests visited by SSNC between 2007 and 2010,visit ollowing links.

http://picasaweb.google.com/swedishorests2010




http://picasaweb.google.com/swedishorests


http://picasaweb.google.com/destroyedorests

A cut down natural forest with high biological values. The company Weda Skog is responsible for the logging of this forest in 2010. Photo: Sebastian Kirppu


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As we are entering 2011, the UN International Year o

Forests, there is hope or the Swedish orest ecosystem. On

October 29th, 2010, the UN Convention on Biodiversity set

out goals to be implemented within the next ten years to

help tackle the mass extinction o species around the world.These goals include increasing the area o protected land to

17 per cent by the year 2020. The 17 per cent is to comprise

areas that are well connected, ecologically representative

and valuable with good continuity. Perhaps the greatest

challenge or Sweden is the protection o productive orest

land, the environment o which the majority o the red

listed species are dependent. However, this challenge is

preceded by a couple o problems yet to be solved. First, only

a raction o the agreed 17 per cent has been protected to

date. Second, there is probably not even enough produc-

tive orests with high biodiversity values let to protect inSweden to reach 17 per cent. The Swedish orestry practices

have been very good at producing raw material, but good

at producing red-listed species as well. The majority o the

orestland has been converted into plantations, and there

is great need or restoration o orests, especially in the

southern part o the country.

Despite assurances rom the industry sector that the

Swedish orestry model is sustainable and that nature values

are not threatened, the investigations o orests carried out

by SSNC or our years have shown that the destruction o

natural orests is ongoing and very rapid. The parole o the

Swedish orestry model is Freedom with responsibility.

This is the oundation o the Swedish Forestry Act, a weak

law based on the idea o considerable responsibility taken

by the land owners. The industry has committed itsel to

conduct orestry sustainably, a process in which the PEFC-

and FSC-certication could play a signicant part. Case

studies carried out by Swedish NGOs show, however, that a

remarkable number o loggings conducted by FSC-certied

companies do not ulll neither the modest environmental

targets in the legislation, nor to the higher principles and

criteria o the FSC-standard. Furthermore, when SSNC have

led complaints on clear violations o the FSC-standard,

the sanctions or companies are none or too marginal to

have a practical impact. Answers such as Te FSC system is

very clear on that it does not require perfectionAs perfec-tion cannot be expected at any given time, repeated devia-

tions will also to some extent have to be accepted70 have been

received rom one CB ater a ormal complaint regarding

repeated loggings o nature value trees. This is unaccepta-

ble, both considering the eect on biodiversity and the

eects on the market. This way, some orest companies gain

positive market eects without complying with the rules

mutually agreed upon amongst parties o the orestry in-

dustry.

The present Swedish orestry model is not only devas-

tating to the orest ecosystem and its biodiversity; it alsocontributes to an excessive release o CO2 into the at-

mosphere. Scientic data indicate that clear cut orestry

practices oten release more greenhouse gases than orestry

without clear cuts.71

Since the clear cutting method, which is almost exclusi-

vely in practice, is the strongest driver behind the biodiver-

sity crisis in the orests o Sweden today, there is a great need

or alternative methods to be developed and used on a large

scale. Alternative methods should not be used in orests

with high conservat ion values, however; these orests should

be let alone, or managed (when necessary), or the sake o

nature conservation.

Among positive eatures o recent, the Swedish

Government put large areas o state owned orests under

protection and has given the state owned orestry company

Sveaskog an assignment to trade 100 000 hectares o orests

in order to establish nature reserves, aiming at ullling the

2010 interim target o the environmental objective

Sustainable Forests, a target ar below the 17 per cent

agreed in Nagoya. Even i the governmental initiative is a

huge step in the right direction, the interim target has not

Discussion


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28

been reached in time. This is not least due to the act that 100

000 hectares were supposed to trade into approximately 80

000 hectares protected land but are more likely to end up

corresponding to 55 00060 000 hectares protected orests,

since there are large amounts o clear cuts and very young

orests within the 100 000 hectares to be exchanged.72

Within 10 years, as the Swedish minister o environment

has concluded, 17 per cent o the productive orests are to

be protected as a consequence o the UN agreement in

Nagoya, 2010. Sweden has a long way to go, with very little

valuable orests let to help reach the target. Unortunately,

the legislation, budget and certications o today do not

prevent the elling o orests with high nature values. An

immediate halt to all loggings o these orests is necessary.

The Earth is in midst o the sixth mass-extinction o species,

and the human species is the driving orce behind. What we

have destroyed must be repaired as ar as possible. We can-

not aord to wait.

A logged Salix caprea, a tree with high biological values that, according to FSC, should never be logged. On the tree is the protected and redlisted speciesHaploporus odorus. SCA conducted the logging in the county of Vsternorrland. Photo: Hans Sundstrm


31/36


2

Unprotected orests with high biodiversity values are stillbeing clear elled, even by FSC-certifed orest companies.In addition, the voluntarily set aside orests do not alwaysconstitute the most valuable areas, and the quality o the set

asides are to a great extent unknown. The proposed mora-torium is supported by a good number o researchers whoestimate that about 20 per cent o the orested land needsto be protected in order to prevent biodiversity decline73. InMarch 2010, SSNC proposed that 20 per cent o the orestedland below the montane conservation border should be pro-tected or restored or the sake o nature conservation. Abovethe conservation border; all orests must be protected romlarge scale orestry74. Due to the UN Convention on Biodiver-sity agreement and the Nagoya target o 2020, stating 17 percent protection o well connected, ecologically representati-ve and valuable land areas, there is an urgent need to halt the

logging o valuable orests i the target ever is to be reached..

State owned companies and the state owns approxima-tely 17 per cent o the productive orest land in Sweden75. Othese 17 per cent, some consists o production orests, someo unprotected or protected high conservation value orests.It will require substantial eorts in order to reach the tar-get o the UN Convention on Biodiversity. To use state ownedorests or exchanges in order to preserve and protect biodi-versity on private or corporate land would not only be a astsolution, it would also move Sweden closer to the target andopen up or a possibility o actually reaching it.

The two equal targets of production and preservation in the

Forestry Act need both to be operationalised. Today there is no

legislation against logging of WKH or localities of endangered

species, and the certifcations FSC and PEFC have proven notsufcient to protect valuable orest habitats. During the

National WKH inventory, only an estimated 20 per cent o theWKH were documented. The remaining 80 per cent of WKH are

at risk o being clear elled unless they get discovered and alsoconfrmed by the Swedish Forest Agency. The Forest Agencydoes not conduct inventories on large orest companys landholdings, but investigations carried out by several NGOs show

that many orests with WKH structures and endangered spe-cies are being slated or logging and logged.

Swedish Society for Nature Conservation demands

The orest industry must shoulder ull responsibility

or preventing the depletion o the natural orests o

Sweden. SSNC calls for a voluntary and immediate

moratorium on loggings of any forest with documen-

ted high nature values, in order to enable the ulfl-

ment o national goals or protection o biodiversity

and ulfl international agreements.

SSNC calls on the government to arrange substitute

of more state owned production forests for ecologi-

cally valuable areas of private and corporate land

owners.

SSNC calls or prohibiting loggings o Woodland Key

Habitats and areas with documented occurrences o

endangered species. The government should also work

or imposing an efcient sanction system or viola-tions o environmental concerns stipulated under the

Forestry Act.


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3

1. http://www.naturvardsverket.se/sv/Arbete-med-naturvard/Biologisk-

mangald/Konventionen-om-biologisk-mangald/

2. http://www.un.org/en/events/iyo2011/

3. Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. (2005) Frekvensanalys av

skyddsvrd natur, rekomst av vrdekrnor i skogsmark Frequency

Analysis o Areas with High Nature Conservation Values Report 5466,

Stockholm (In Swedish only)

4. L, M., Rudberg, J. (2007) Hotade skogar i norr Threatened

northern Forests SSNC report http://www.naturskyddsoreningen.se/

upload/Foreningsdokument/Rapporter/rapport-skog-hotade-skogar-

norr.pd , Stockholm (In Swedish only) L, M., Sahlin, M. (2009)

Haveri r naturvrden I skogen Breakdown in Swedish orest pro-

tection SSNC report , Stockholm. ISBN 978-91-558-8151-1 (In

Swedish only) Sahlin, M. (2010) Cutting the Edge the Loss o Natural

Forests in Sweden SSNC report, Stockholm. ISBN 978-91-558-0027-

75. http://protecttheorest.se/upprop/en/scientist-appeal

6. Angelstam, P., Jonsson, B-G., Trnblom, J., Andersson, K., Axelsson, R.,

Roberge, J-M. (2010) Landskapsansats r bevarande av skoglig bio-

logisk mngald en uppljning av 1997 rs regionala bristanalys ,

och om behovet av samverkan mellan aktrer. Skogsstyrelsen

(Swedish Forest Agency), Jnkping. ISSN 1100-0295

7. ibid

8. Larsson, A., Thor, G. (2010) The 2010 Red List o Swedish Species,

SLU, Uppsala. ISBN 978-91-88506-35-1

9. Lindenmeyer, D.B. & Fischer, J. (2006) Habitat ragmentation and

landscape change. An ecological and conservation synthesis. Island

Press, Washington, Colevo, London.

10. Weslien, J., Widenalk, O. (2009) Skogssktselserien nr 14,

Naturhnsyn Skogsstyrelsens rlag. (In Swedish only)


SLU, Uppsala.

12. Mild, K., Stighll, K. (2005) tgrdsprogram r bevarande av vitryg-

gig hackspett och dess livsmiljer working program or preservation

o the whitebacked woodpecker and its habitats Report 5486 ,

Naturvrdsverket (Environmental protection agency) (In Swedish only)

ISBN 91-620-5486-4.pd13. Larsson, S., Lundmark, T., Sthl, G. (2009) Mjligheter till intensivodling

av skog. Slutrapport frn regeringsuppdrag Jo 2008/1885. Possibilities

for intensive cultivation of forests. Final Report from Governmental

Commission Jo 2008/1885. SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural

Sciences), Uppsala. ISBN 978-91-86197-40-7. (Ins Swedish only)

14. Debate article by 14 scientists in the Swedish Daily News (Dagens

Nyheter) (2008-04-14) Skogspolitiken hotar den biologiska mngal-

den. The orest politics is threatening the biodiversity. http://www.

dn.se/DNet /jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=572&a=760542 (In Swedish only)

15. http://www.naturvardsverket.se/sv/Sveriges-miljomal--or-ett-

hallbart-samhalle/Miljokvalitetsmal/Skog

16. Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Swedish Forest Agency

(2006) S skyddas vrdeull skog den nationella strategin r or-

mellt skydd av skog. To protect valuable orests the national stra-

tegy or ormal protection o orest., http://www.naturvardsverket.

se/Documents/publikationer/620-8260-4.pd (In Swedish only)

17. Ibid18. SSNC, Open letter to Bergvik Skog and Stora Enso (2009) http://www.

naturskyddsoreningen.se/upload/Foreningsdokument/

Faktadokument/Synpunkter%20p%c3%a5%20Stora%20Enso_

Bergvik.pd (In Swedish only)

19. Weslien, J., Widenalk, O. (2009) Skogssktselserien nr 14,

Naturhnsyn Skogsstyrelsens rlag. (In Swedish only)

20. Table 6.26 Compliance with environmental requirements o Swedish

orest law in connection with regeneration elling during 2006/2007-

2008/2009 http://www.skogsstyrelsen.se/Myndigheten/Statistik/

Amnesomraden/Skogsvard-och-miljohansyn/Tabeller--fgurer/

21. Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Swedish Forest Agency

(2005) Appendix to national strategy or ormal protection o orests

http://svo.se/episerver4/dokument/sks/Fakta_om_skog/Skogens_

prlor_sp_dokument/Bilaga%203%20nationell%20strategi%20%20

26%20maj%2005.pd. (In Swedish only)

22. http://www.sc.org/

23. http://pec.org/

24. Lf, M., Rudberg, J. (2007) Hotade skogar i norr Threatened

northern Forests SSNC report http://www.naturskyddsforeningen.se/


norr.pdf , Stockholm (In Swedish only) Lf, M., Sahlin, M. (2009)Haveri fr naturvrden I skogen Breakdown in Swedish forest pro-

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tection SSNC report, Stockholm. ISBN 978-91-558-8151-1 (In Swedish

only) Sahlin, M. (2010) Cutting the Edge the Loss of Natural Forests

in Sweden SSNC report, Stockholm. ISBN 978-91-558-0027-7

25. FSC Sweden (2010) New Swedish FSC Standard or Forest

Certifcation including SLIMF-indicators. P.33.

26. http://www.sc-sverige.org/press/nyheter/25-senaste/129-sc-och-

miljohaensynen-i-svenskt-skogsbruk




norr.pdf , Stockholm (In Swedish only) Lf, M., Sahlin, M. (2009)

Haveri fr naturvrden I skogen Breakdown in Swedish forest pro-




28. SSNC Press release (2010-06-16) http://www.naturskyddsoreningen.se/in-english/About-us/latest-news/?news=15246

29. SCA Press release (2010-11-15) http://www.sca.com/sv/Sundsvall/

Press/Pressmeddelanden/Archive/2010/Stora-skogsbrukare-

orstarker-hallbarhetsarbetet/?menu=5127 (In Swedish only)

30. Article by Illka Hanski (2010-11-29) http://www.hbl.f/text/inri-

kes/2010/11/29/w55137.php

31. Ibid


SLU, Uppsala. ISBN 978-91-88506-35-1

33. Ibid

34. Kuussaari, M., Bommarco, R., Heikkinen, R.K. , Helm, A., Krauss, J.,

Lindborg, R., ckinger, E., Prtel, M., Pino, J., Rod, F., Steanescu, C. ,

Teder, T., Zobel, M. & Stean-Dewenter, I. (2009) Extinction debt: a

challenge or biodiversity conservation Trends in Ecology and

Evolution 24, 564-571.


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36. Minister o Supply and Services Canada (1995) Canadian Biodiversity

Strategy Canadas Response to the Convention on Biological

Diversity Quebec, Canada. Catalogue No . En21-134/1995E. ISBN

0-662-23221-637. World Resources Institute. (1994). World Resources: A Guide to the

Global Environment. New York: Oxord University Press .

38. Minister o Supply and Services Canada (1995) Canadian Biodiversity

Strategy Canadas Response to the Convention on Biological

Diversity Quebec, Canada. Catalogue No . En21-134/1995E. ISBN

0-662-23221-6

39. ibid

40. Swedish Species Inormation Centre, (2010). Species inormation on

Antrodia crassa. http://snotra.artdata.slu.se/artakta/

SpeciesInormationDocument/Antrodia_Crassa_66.pd (In Swedish

only)

41. http://snotra.artdata.slu.se/artakta/GetSpecies.

aspx?SearchType=Advanced (In Swedish only)


Antrodia crassa. http://snotra.artdata.slu.se/artakta/

SpeciesInormationDocument/Antrodia_Crassa_66.pd (In Swedish

only)43. Swedish Species Inormation Centre, (2010). Species inormation on

Pycnoporellus Alboluteus. http://snotra.artdata.slu.se/artakta/

SpeciesInormationDocument/Pycnoporellus_Alboluteus_1338.pd

(In Swedish only)

44. Ibid

45. Roberge, J-M., Mikuniski, G., Svensson, S. (2008) The white-backed

woodpecker: umbrella species or orest conservation planning?

http://www.springerlink.com/content/35246160l8565220/fulltext.pdf





ISBN 91-620-5486-4.pd


Dendrocopos leucotos. http://snotra.artdata.slu.se/artakta/

SpeciesInormationDocument/Dendrocopos_Leucotos_100046.pd





ISBN 91-620-5486-4.pd49. House o Lords, European Union Committee (2008) The EUs Target


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or Renewable Energy: 20% by 2020. HL Paper 175-I Published by the

Authority o the House o Lords. London

50. FERN (2008) Powering Europe Sustainably a discussion paper on

the potential role o biomass in the EU http://www.ern.org/sites/

ern.org/fles/media/documents/document_4328_4330.pd

51. WWF Sweden (2009) Stubbarnas biologiska betydelse underskattas!

The biological signifcance o stumps is underestimated! http://

www.ww.se/source.php/1241203/Stubbarnas%20biologiska%20be-

tydelse%20underskattas.pd

52. Larsson, S., Lundmark, T., Sthl, G. (2009) Mjligheter till intensivodling

av skog. Slutrapport frn regeringsuppdrag Jo 2008/1885. Possibilities

for intensive cultivation of forests. Final Report from Governmental

Commission Jo 2008/1885. SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural

Sciences), Uppsala. ISBN 978-91-86197-40-7. (Ins Swedish only)

53. WWF Sweden (2009) Stubbarnas biologiska betydelse underskattas!

The biological signifcance o stumps is underestimated! http://

www.ww.se/source.php/1241203/Stubbarnas%20biologiska%20be-tydelse%20underskattas.pd

54. FERN (2008) Powering Europe Sustainably a discussion paper on

the potential role o biomass in the EU http://www.ern.org/sites/

ern.org/fles/media/documents/document_4328_4330.pd

55. SSNC (2009) http://www.naturskyddsoreningen.se/upload/

Foreningsdokument/Remissvar/skog/100115-remissvar-intensivod-

ling-av-skog.pd Response to the Final Report rom Governmental

Commission Jo 2008/1885 regarding intensive orestry

56. Carlson, M., Wells, J., Roberts, D. (2009) The Carbon the World Forgot.

http://www.borealbirds.org/resources/carbon/report-full.pdf

57. Ibid

58. Swedish Forest Industries. (2009) Swedish Wood Eect the key to

success in Copenhagen, booklet.


SLU, Uppsala. ISBN 978-91-88506-35-1

60. www.sca.com/en/Products

61. SGS (2009) http://ino.sc.org/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?retURL=

%2Fapex%2FPublicCertifcateDetails%3Fid%3Da0240000005sRQdA

AM&fle=00P40000004ZLUeEAO Public summary o orest manage-

ment certifcation report.

62. Sahlin, M. (2010) Cutting the Edge the Loss o Natural Forests inSweden SSNC report , Stockholm. ISBN 978-91-558-0027-7




norr.pdf , Stockholm (In Swedish only) Lf, M., Sahlin, M. (2009)

Haveri fr naturvrden I skogen Breakdown in Swedish forest pro-




64. L, M., Sahlin, M. (2009) Haveri r naturvrden i skogen

Breakdown in Swedish orest protection SSNC report, Stockholm.

ISBN 978-91-558-8151-1 (In Swedish only) Sahlin, M. (2010) Cutting

the Edge - the Loss o Natural Forests i