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198 Scand. J. For. Res. News & Views 2 (2018)

from Nordic Forest Research SNS 2 2018

Metla's employees in the Vilppula experimental area, summer 1958. Photo: Reino Saarnio, Metlan kuva-arkisto, Luke and Pixabay (flag). Both the nation of and Finnish forest research celebrated their 100-year anniversaries in 2017. The forest research institute, which would become known as Metla, started off by delivering research to the traditional forest sector, but has, over the years, broadened its scope to many aspects of bioeconomy. Jaana Laine, researcher at the University of Helsinki, summarises a century of forest research in Finland. Metla 1917-2014 – the history of Finnish forest research Metla’s history can be divided Activities started in 1918 forest resources grew. Large clear into three periods according to In October 1917, the Senate of the cuttings, especially in , the main research focus and Grand Duchy of Finland passed highlighted the importance of societal demand for knowledge. the Law on the Finnish Forest research into silvicultural practices Experimental Institute (later known and the regeneration of forests. During the interwar period Metla as Finnish Forest Research Institute, In the late 1950s scarce forest produced valuable information on Metla). However, the beginning of resources seemed to limit the national forest resources. After World research activities was postponed growth of the forest industry, and War II Metla’s duty was to ensure until the summer 1918 due to the the expected shortage of timber enough timber for the forest industry, outbreak of civil war in January 1918. resulted in the launch of two major which in practice directed the For the first years, there were only national actions. First, export of round research on forest improvement. From three professors undertaking research wood and household consumption the 1980s onwards Metla attempted on silviculture, forest mensuration were reduced to secure industry’s to balance between the forest sector and inventory, and soil science. From timber procurement. Secondly, at the and environmental activism, and this modest start, Metla developed beginning of the 1960s nationwide gradually forest research became into one of the most respected forest forest improvement programmes more responsive to the ecological research institutes. were implemented. The state offered and cultural values. During the last private forest owners financial support decades biodiversity and bioeconomy and loans e.g. for forest regeneration, have formed an essential part of Need for knowledge and timber After WWII, in consequence of the fertilisation, ditching and forest roads. its research programmes. From the war indemnities and reconstruction, During this so-called MERA- beginning of 2015 forest researchers the pressure to intensify the use of have been working within Luke. 199 Scand. J. For. Res. News & Views 2 (2018)

Periods of forest research: National forest inventory in the early 1950s (photo: Luke); Forest tree breeding in Ruotsinkylä research forest 1973 (photo: Veikko Koski, Luke); Climate change research in Pallastunturi, Lapland 2006 (photo: Erkki Oksanen, Luke). period Metla’s research had two aims: forest organisations expected Metla from the long history of Metla; in the beginning, to increase timber to offer unambiguous research results for instance, experimental plots production, and later, to evaluate on silvicultural issues which could established from the 1920s onwards the economic profitability of forest be formulated into guidance for and forest litter samples collected improvement. The importance of private forest owners. Both forest from the 1950s have offered valuable profitability grew when the oil crisis industries and the state administrative information about environmental of the 1970s forced the state to organisations demanded current changes. consider more carefully the funding information on forest resources. Nowadays, forest researchers of different forest improvement Interest groups stressed the need for face more complex issues which activities. quick answers to research problems, require broad environmental and but they partly ignored the natural socio-economic knowledge and Acid rain and demand for energy tempo of forest research. Biological co-operation with other disciplines Due to the oil crisis, research was research takes time, particularly in and research organisations. From the focused, from the late 1970s to forests with nearly hundred-year long beginning of 2015, Luke (Natural the mid-1980s, on wood energy rotations. Resources Institute Finland) has production. This so-called PERA Policy-oriented applied research offered forest researchers an inspiring research programme developed the gained more ground within Metla and multidisciplinary working energy use of stumps and crown from the 1990s onwards and the environment. biomass and cultivation of energy Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry willow; that is the wood material not expected research results to support Text: Jaana Laine needed in forest industry production. political decision-making. These This enthusiasm for wood energy demands grew partly as a result of Reference: Laine, Jaana. 2017. Metsästä was abruptly interrupted when new membership of the European Union, yhteiskuntaan: Metsäntutkimuslaitos threats were literally falling from but also due to ongoing globalisation 1917–2012. Metsäkustannus, Helsinki. the sky, namely forest destruction and the increasing number of [From the Woods to the Society: Forest caused by pollution and acid rain. At international commitments. Research Institute Finland 1917–2012] the same time Metla was challenged Contact: Jaana by environmental activism, which Towards bioeconomy Laine, Dept pushed research towards the multiple Biodiversity and bioeconomy shifted of Political use of forests. Metla towards interdisciplinary and Economic Studies, Faculty research. This is apparent, for of Social Conflicts and decision-making example, in the National Forest Sciences, All in all, this was the beginning of Inventories, for which more and more University of several conflicts with environmental ecological information has been Helsinki, Finland, activists but also with forest industries gathered. For investigating global jaana.laine@ and private forest owners. Private warming, researchers have benefited helsinki.fi Scand. J. For. Res. News & Views 2 (2018) 200 4 networks will strengthen wood science collaboration The SNS board has decided to support four networks in the field of wood science, including wood processing and utilisation. Cooperation on forest inventory continues The Nordic Co-operation Group for Forest Inventory was established in the 1970s, and has, over the years, received funding for bi-annual meetings. The group helps to build bridges across disciplinary boundaries of forest inventory, forest planning and forest management. In August 2018, a two-day meeting will be held in . The goal of the meeting is to discuss simulation of future forest resource availability based on National Forest Inventory data, and how such simulations can be used to assess the role of forests in climate change mitigation. The meeting will be co- organised with the CARISMA network, which works on remote sensing. Network title: Nordic Co-operation Group for Forest Inventory. The currently highest wooden house Brock Commons at University of British Columbia, Coordinator: Thomas Nord-Larsen, Vancouver, is 18 storeys and 53 meters high. Norway has started building an 80 meter high University of Copenhagen, [email protected] wooden house. Photo: University of British Columbia. Nordic wooden houses Wood decay – an Healthier houses with stretch to the sky obstacle and an asset wood in the interior The world’s tallest wooden building is Decaying wood is a problem in A new CEN-standard on building currently 18 storeys high, but one of 24 construction materials, and sometimes a products is soon to be implemented - storeys is on the way and the record is reason for using substitutes with higher prEN 16516. The standard requires all broken on an almost yearly basis. The climate impact. In this case, decay building materials exposed to indoor air Nordic countries are well in the frontline is a drawback, but decay can also be to be tested for dangerous substances – a of this race, particularly Norway, where beneficial. Biorefining is based on biotic challenge for wooden materials, since an 80 meter high building is in the offing. degradation of wood in order to convert it they naturally release volatile organic One of the drivers for the focus on wood to a spectrum of bio-based products (food, compounds. Some of the compounds as a construction material is climate feed, chemicals, materials) and bioenergy emitted from wood have a positive effect change, another is the facilitated building (biofuels, power, heat). on human health, but they are still treated process. The Nordic forest industry with The purpose of this network is to as toxic. This is only one of the problems its vast forest resources has an advantage improve the collaboration between to be tackled by this network. but technology and production capacity scientists working on wood decay from The network will assemble experts to need to be continually developed to keep different perspectives. It will strengthen document and communicate results about pace with international competitors. the collaboration between wood wood interior products and their role with The network will assemble stakeholders laboratories in (Lund), Denmark respect to health and indoor climate. The from the building sector, technical (Copenhagen) and Norway (NIBIO), application states that: “Wood has been institutions and universities with the aim all with different expertise areas and considered a safe and healthy material. of identifying challenges and benefits of equipment. But belief is not sufficient. There is a tall wood buildings. The support from SNS will cover need for documentation and thereafter During 2018, workshops will be held workshops, a PhD course and research information dissemination.” in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and visits. One of the planned outcomes will Besides organising workshops, the new projects in a broader context (COST be a COST action, involving experts from network aims to write an EU-proposal action and Horizon2020) will be planned other European countries. within the ForestValue-net. for. Network title: Better biomass utilisation Network title: Wood interior: Health Network title: Nordic network for tall through improved understanding of decay impact and indoor air using wood interior. wood buildings. mechanisms in wood. Coordinator: May-Linn Sortland, Coordinator: Peder Fynholm, Danish Coordinator: Lisbeth Garbrecht Thygesen, Norwegian Institute of Wood Technology, Technological Institute, [email protected] University of Copenhagen, [email protected] [email protected] 101201 Scand. J. For. Res. News & Views 2 (2018) SNS at COP23 Large grant to Wood Science Center The WWSC, Wallenberg Wood Science Center, is a cooperation between KTH, Chalmers, Linköping University and the forest industry. The center has been granted 400 million SEK for the period 2019-2028. The forest industry contributes with another 100 million SEK. The mission of WWSE is to create knowledge and build competence that can form the basis for an innovative future value creation from forest raw material. The new grant will secure the continuation of WWSC. Read more www.wwsc.se Lennart Ackzell (Nordic Forest Owners Association), Mimmi Blomquist (SNS) and Torfi Jóhannesson (Nordic Council of Ministers) presented a new brochure on climate benefits. Photo: Mia Smeds, Nordforsk. Apply for scholarship NordGen and SNS has announced a The UN Climate Change Conference, benefits of the Nordic forests. SNS was call for scholarships available for young COP23, took place in November in Bonn. also invited to join a session called students or professionals working with SNS was present, and secretary Mimmi “Everything you always wanted to forest management. Blomquist describes the activity in a blog know about bioeconomy – speed date an Read more on SNS webpage, statement: ”The Bioeconomy day at the expert”. www.nordicforestresearch.org Nordic pavillion was filled with inspiring Read more about the conference: talks, workshops and networking activites https://cop23.unfccc.int about how pressing environmental Mimmi Blomquist’s blog text on www. New chairman of SNS issues can be addressed in a Nordic From January 2018, Norway will chair nordicforestresearch.org setting across sectors such as forestry, Nordic Forest Research SNS. The new agriculture and fishery.” Download the brochure The climate chairman is Ivar Ekanger, director at The day also included the release of benefits of the Nordic Forests. the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, a new brochure explaining the climate Norway.

He was also foreign minister of Sweden Wallenberg Foundation during the first world war. The Knut and 100 years Alice Wallenberg Foundation started with Knut and Alice Wallenberg an initial endowment worth 20 million Foundation celebrated 100 years in SEK, which has now grown to assets 2017. It is one of the largest private worth 90 billion SEK. It has over the research-funding sources in Europe. years awarded 24 billion SEK to excellent Knut Wallenberg was a banker, politician basic research and education in Sweden, and filantrope who suceeded his father preferably in life sciences, technology and André Oscar Wallenberg as president natural science. of Stockholms Enskilda Bank (today Read more: www.kaw.wallenberg.org Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken, SEB). Chairman Ivar Ekanger. Photo: Mats Hannerz.

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Write to the editor: News & Views is a newsletter from SNS Mats Hannerz, containing short, popularized articles Silvinformation AB covering Nordic forest research and [email protected] forestry. Articles presenting SNS-supported activities are prioritized. The newsletter More info about SNS: News & Views is edited and produced is published eight times per year, and is by Mats Hannerz, Silvinformation AB www.nordicforestresearch.org available for download from the SNS and [email protected] Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research websites.