world news - 24.05.2007
More storm felled timber than previously expected still remains in Swedish forests
More storm felled timber than expected still remains in the forest
after the storms in Southern Sweden. Furthermore, several areas with
storm felled timber are small and widely spread, which makes processing
even more difficult. This is the conclusion of a helicopter inventory
made by the Swedish Forest Agency.
The
inventory showed more than 5,900 areas with fallen timber where more
than 70 % of the areas cover less than 50 m3. The widely spread
windfalls are more numerous than expected which may render it even more
difficult for forest management to process the fallen timber before the
end of June.
The damage caused by the storm Per seems to be more extensive than
indicated by the first inventory made immediately after the storm.
Circa 16 million m3 may have been damaged in the January storm. The
fallen trees, which have not yet been processed, constitute excellent
breeding ground for the bark beetle.
Ms Johanna From, responsible manager of the project "Spruce Bark Beetle
and Storm 2007", says that the volume of remaining timber, in
combination with the bark beetle's early swarming, makes the timetable
for timber processing even tighter, if forest owners are to avoid
massive attacks in the future. It is extremely important not to fell
standing timber, which has not been attacked. The priority must be the
processing and removal of fresh storm felled spruce.
See also:
- — World Must Seek Change in China Timber Trade — Report
- — U.N. wins pledges to plant a billion trees
- — China needs "responsible" timber choice--Greenpeace
- — Shenyang furniture industry begins large scale imports of US hardwoods
- — The forest-based sector is expected to become the lead market in Europe