Research on forest knowledge communication

The researchers’ objective in this project is to equip forest owners and forestry decision-makers with action-oriented, evidence-based insights that enable them to effectively navigate toward integrated and sustainable forest management.

There is a significant need for research on forest-related knowledge communication that can help us unlock a polarized debate climate and pave the way for sustainable forest management. Since the mid-20^th century, forests have served as a cornerstone to Sweden’s economy and have therefore primarily been managed to maximize economic profit. This management has largely followed a rotation forestry model characterized by even-aged stands, monocultures, and clearcutting.

Challenges to traditional rotation forestry in Sweden have intensified. Forest growth has declined significantly in recent years, probably due to climate change. Further, according to critics, rotation forestry faces conflicts with the environmental goals of carbon storage and biodiversity protection in international initiatives like the Paris agreement, EU’s Green Deal, and LULUCF.

The scientific community has responded to these challenges through research on “Integrated Forest Management” (IFM): forestry systems such as mixed-species forestry and continuous-cover forestry that integrate biodiversity conservation, economic returns and other goals.

Yet, despite researchers and authorities in Sweden recognizing the benefits of IFM, its adoption within forestry practices remains limited. One contributing factor, according to the researchers in the project, is that communication of knowledge about IFM encounters resistance from actors, institutions, and traditions that favor rotation forestry, and, perhaps, outdated truths that no longer apply in the forest policy landscape.

The researchers in this project aim to address the research gap concerning communication by analyzing past and contemporary knowledge campaigns designed to promote IFM in Sweden. The aim of the project is to increase knowledge about historical strategies for communicating about IFM and to develop new approaches for examining critical linkages between previous and current IFM campaigns.

Forest history and forest policy are established fields in their own right; however, research that combines these domains and uses historical conclusion to address contemporary forestry issues remains rare.