Country report for Finland, September 2015 NordGen Forest

Kari Leinonen and Katri Himanen

1. Supply of seed and seedlings

In 2014, Finnish Scots pine orchards produced 5 560 kg seeds. The production was highest for

the last ten years (Fig. 1). One fourth of the seeds were certified in the category tested. The

Norway spruce seed orchards produced 1 111 kg seed in the category qualified. This covers

approximately one year need for nursery sowings. The spruce seed orchards have produced seed

only three times during the last ten years (Fig.1).

The amount of seeds collected from seed sources or stands in 2014 was small, only 350 kg. This

was only 5 % of the total amount collected. Oak acorns accounted for the largest part (201 kg) of

these collections. The other harvested tree species were Scots pine (60 kg), silver birch (59 kg),

Norway spruce (9 kg), Douglas fir (19 kg), ash (1 kg) and maple (1 kg).

Fig 1. Amounts of Scots pine and Norway spruce seeds collected, 2005-2014.

0

3000

6000

9000

12000

15000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Seed

s, k

g

Year of seed ripening

Scots pine

0

3000

6000

9000

12000

15000

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Seed

s, k

g

Year of seed ripening

Norway spruce

Tested Qualified Selected Source identified

2. Research and outreach

The statutory negotiations at Natural Resource Institute Finland (Luke) ended 6th July 2015. As a

result of the negotiations, Luke will lay off 118 employees. Luke’s personnel will also be reduced

by retirement and by the reduced use of temporary personnel. The total impact will be

approximately 210 person-years of the current 1700 person-years. Luke may also lay off the entire

staff in autumn 2015 over a maximum period of two weeks. The aim of the statutory negotiations

is to achieve 11 million euros of savings for the year 2016 and the fiskal balance for 2015.

3. Forest policies

The Minister of Agriculture and the Environment of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä’s Government is Mr

Kimmo Tiilikainen. Minister Tiilikainen will thus be directing both the Ministry of Agriculture and

Forestry and Ministry of the Environment. Tiilikainen is a forester by profession, so he is familiar

with forest issues. Bioeconomy and cleantech are on of the spearheads of the new Government.

The Government finance the projects in this sector by 300 millon euros during the next four years.

Temporary Act on the Financing Sustainable Forestry entered into force 1st July 2015. This Act

allows state to give aid for private landowners to economically, ecologially and socially sustanable

forestry. The state aid can be used to increasing timber production, constructing forest roads,

maintaining biological diversity of forests and promoting adaptation of forests to climate change.

The amount of state aid for private forestry will be though decreasing in the coming years.

Metsä Group announced in the spring the building of a new bioproduct mill in Äänekoski central

Finland. The mill will be the largest investment of forest industry in Finland (approximately 1,2

billon euros) . The mill is expected to increase the pulpwood consumption in Finland by 4 million

cubic meters annually and the mill will create 1500 new jobs.

Country report for Sweden, September 2015 NordGen Forest

1. Supply of seed and seedlings

The annual survey on number of plants for use in Sweden indicates that there is a slight increase of

Scots pine plants ust 2014, to 149 milj (138 milj) plants. Norway spruce shows a slight decrease to

200 milj (216 milj) plants. This has been a trend since 2007. Lodgepole pine was on the12 milj plants

level and all other species summed up to around 8 milj plants used in Sweden 2014. In total there

were 369 milj plants used in Sweden during 2014.

The production of seed in Sweden based on Master Certificate issuance is shown in the table below.

Scots pine and Norway spruce seed were on intermediate levels. Scots pine seed from stands is on a

high level compared to seed orchard seed.

Seed produced in Sweden 2014, kg Category

Species Source

identified Selected Qualified Tested Total

Alnus glutinosa 15,72 15,72

Betula pendula 9,98 6,4 16,38

Fagus sylvatica 9 6,23 15,23

Larix eurolepis 53,08 53,08

Larix leptolepis*sibirica 3,59 3,59

Picea abies 231,01 257,76 488,77

Pinus contorta 240,74 240,74

Pinus sylvestris 2180,67 7,61 604,84 2793,12

Pseudotsuga menziesii 1,63 1,63

Quercus robur 22,4 22,4

Total 10,63 2741,02 287,77 611,24 3650,66

Seed import figures based on exchange of information between EU Member states is shown in the

table below. There is a substantial import of seed orchard seed from Finland. A look into data shows

that most of it is Scots pine of Swedish provenance.

Seed import 2014, kg Category

Country Source identified Selected Qualified Tested Total

Danmark 20 76,25 1 2 99,25

Finland 327,7 220,5 954,33 1502,53

Litauen 80 80

Norge 10 10

Polen 50 100 150

Slovakien 0,5 0,5

Total 477,7 396,75 965,83 2 1842,28

Number of plants imported during 2014 based on exchange of information between EU Member states

is shown in the table below. In total there was an import of 37 milj plants, which is about 10 % of the

annual number of plants used in Sweden.

Plant import 2014, No Category

Country Source

identified Selected Qualified Tested Total

Danmark 89500 14375 486250 250550 254900 1095575

Estland 19200 356100 2046470 83700 2505470

Finland 956000 184940 1140940

Irland 26000 26000

Lettland 206600 7151050 8200 7365850

Litauen 833000 833000

Nederländerna 20000 20000

Norge 75000 75000

Polen 20000 513500 268650 63000 865150

Storbritannien 20000 686000 706000

Tyskland 195900 7297275 392090 13769451 816650 22471366

Total 531200 9137250 898340 24599111 1938450 37104351

2. Research and outreach

Niklas Björklund at SLU in Uppsala received1,7 miljoner kronor for research on non-toxic

protection of seedlings against pine weevil damage. By spraying the seedling with

Metyljasmonate (MeJa), a substance naturally produced by the seedlings when they are

attacked, the seedlings are triggered to build up their defence. The substance is sprayed on

the seedlings in the nursery and might be a future alternative to other protections that are on

the market today.

3. Forest policies

Much attention is currently paid to the formation of a National Forest Programme, which is now

in an early phase of organization. This autumn four working groups will establish, covering

the following areas:

1. Growth, multiple use and increased values of forests as a natural resourse.

2. Wood production, other ecosystem services and the limits of nature.

3. Promotion of biobased products and energy, smart transports, a world leading forest

product industry, increased export

4. International forest related questions.

The Swedish Forest Agency is represented in each of these groups. Other representatives

come from government, industry, tourist organisations, forest owners, NGOs.

***

Country report for Denmark, September 2015 NordGen Forest

1. Supply of seed and seedlings

No new statistic is available.  

A good harvest in several species is expected in 2015/2016. For beech and oak only a minor 

harvest is expected, and some shortage is expected. 

The impression from the nurseries is, that the use of norway spruce and sitka spruce is 

slightly increasing.   

2. Research and outreach

At the University of Copenhagen projects about ash dieback and Neonectria in Abies sp. are 

continuing. 

Two thematic days are arranged by the university about biomass production as part of 

ENERWOOD:  

“ENERWOODs is a project funded by Nordic Energy Research under the programme Sustainable Energy 

Systems 2050. It aims at strengthening the role of Nordic forestry as a significant contributor to the 

development of competitive, efficient and renewable energy systems. The project objectives and 

dissemination strategies involve two temporal scopes:  

1.Short term (2011‐2020), with focus on increased utilization of wood based bioenergy from today’s 

Nordic forest, building on the current energy infrastructure and use of fossil resources. 

2.Long term (2020‐2050+), where fossil resources will be reduced to a minimum from the energy supply 

and forestry exhibits an increase in productivity.” (http://enerwoods.ku.dk/about/)

 

A fieldtrial in pinus sylvestris is under preparation. Sampels from Norway and Sweden are 

included. 

 

A sitka spruce seed orchard aiming at high biomassproduction is under establishment by the 

nature agency. 

 

3. Forest policies

A new government is formed after the election in june 2015.  

The ministry of environment is merged with the ministry of food, agriculture and fisheries. 

The new minister is Eva Kjer Hansen who has a long political career and from 2007‐10 was 

minister of food, agriculture and fisheries   

 

Several initiatives are under preparation. “Untouched” forest is on the agenda as a mean to 

secure biodiversity. The definition of the term “untouched” is to be defined, but is expected 

to allow recreation but avoid forestry.  

 

A national forest program was expected before the election. The Danish Forest Association 

still emphasizes the need for a comprehensive forest policy.   

 

Country report for Norway, September 2015 NordGen Forest

1. Supply of seed and seedlings 2015 is a good year for cones and seed for Norway spruce. Due to climatic conditions during spring and summer, it will not be as good as the year 2006, which was an excellent seed year, but 2015 looks good in both Eastern Norway (mainly seed orchard seed) and Trøndelag (stand seed). New seed orchards are to be established the coming years. The first plants are now being planted in a 2nd generation seed orchard near Elverum. No new statistics available since March.

2. Research and outreach The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) was established 1 July 2015 and is one of Norway’s largest research institutes. NIBIO is owned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and is a merger between the Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research (Bioforsk), the Norwegian Agricultural Economics Research Institute (NILF) and the Norwegian Forestry and Landscape Institute (Skog og landskap).

3. Forest policies A pilot project on planting of forests in new areas as a tool for climate mitigation has been initiated in three counties in Norway. The duration of the pilot is three years from 2015.The goal is to increase sequestration of carbon. Criteria for choice of species and for protection of biodiversity have been set. A white paper on the policy for forestry and the forestry industry will be presented to the Norwegian parliament in the spring of 2016. This is a follow up of a declaration by the exisiting government and part of a decission by the parliament to produce a white paper for the agriculture and forestry sector in future Norway. The forestry sector's strategy SKOG22 from early 2015, is a major input to such a white paper. The government has also decided to develop a bioeconomy strategy. It is a collaboration between the ministries of Agriculture and Food and Trade, Industry and Fisheries. The aim is to optimalize the use of our resources and create jobs within the biobased industry. The strategy SKOG22 from the forest sector, is also an important input to this strategy.

 

Country report for Iceland, September 2015

NordGen Forest

1. Supply of seed and seedlings

Supplies of reproductive material for most tree species were adequate in 2015. Supplies of Pinus

contorta seed are low and emphasis will be on local seed collection of that species in autumn 2015.

Iceland is still very dependent on the supply of Larix sibirica (L. sukaczewii) seed from Finnish seed

orchards for achieving its afforestation goals for North and East Iceland. However, this supply

appears to be dwindling, and the nurseries are worried that the continued demand may not be met

by this source in the near future.

2. Research and outreach

In spring 2015, a milestone was reached in Abies lasiocarpa breeding with the grafting of a future

seed orchard for Christmas tree seed production. At the same time, grafting took place for enlarging

an indoor hybrid larch (L. decidua x sibirica) seed orchard. Over 40 rust resistant Populus balsamifera

ssp. trichocarpa clones have been identified and a smaller number will soon be selected for

commercial propagation. Provenance trials with genetically improved sources (mainly from Finnish

indoor seed orchards) of Betula pendula were set up on many sites throughout Iceland.

3. Forest policies

A new Forestry Act will hopefully be introduced in the parliament in autumn 2015 and preparations

are under way for merging the Icelandic Forest Service with the regional agencies responsible for

providing grants for afforestation on private land. Planting rates continue to diminish, as a long-term

consequence of the economic crisis that began in 2008.