Save the date: IBFRA 2023 Conference on boreal forests 28-31 August 2023

Welcome to the 20th IBFRA (The International Boreal Forest Research Association) Conference, in Helsinki Finland 28-31 August 2023! The conference can also be followed remotely. The registration to the conference is now open! The bi-annual conference will bring together researchers, companies, policymakers, and members from civil society to discuss the future of boreal forests. The main theme of the 2023 conference is climate resilient and sustainable forest management. The sub-themes …

New videos on continuous-cover forestry

SOMPA has published two videos that discuss continuous-cover forestry on peatlands. The shorter video (4:01) which is meant especially for forest owners discusses the execution, environmental impact and the profitability of continuous-cover forestry.   The longer version (9:50) which is meant especially for forest experts takes a closer look at the amount and timing of cuttings, and the carbon dioxide emissions. The video also takes a closer look at the …

Researchers’ recommendation: Opportunities for Peatlands and Paludiculture in the EU Common Agricultural Policy (2023-2027)

A network of international research organisations prepared a Policy Brief related to the topic of peatlands and paludiculture, containing recommendations for EU Member States for their CAP Strategic Plans. The Policy Brief was prepared for the EU Pavilion day at the COP26 United Nations Climate Conference, focused on agriculture, land-use and forestry. SOMPA was one of the projects involved in writing the brief. The main author for the compilation of …

Continuous cover forestry maintains carbon sinks of nutrient-rich drained peatland forests

A recent study by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), the Russian Academy of Sciences and the University of Eastern Finland analysed how different forest management practices affect the timber production, ecosystem net primary production and emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) in nutrient-rich peatlands drained for forestry in southern Finland. The examined sites acted as a carbon sink with low and middle harvest intensity, while these sites turned into a …

Researchers’ recommendation: Agricultural policy reform should promote climate-smart agriculture

The European Union’s agricultural policy reform requires stronger climate measures also in agriculture. About half of greenhouse gas emissions in Finnish primary production is created by the cultivation of peat soils. Hence, the largest and quickest emission reductions are possible by changes in the agricultural practices on peat soils. A joint policy brief by seven research projects encourages to implement emission reduction and carbon sequestration measures both on peat and …

Continuous cover forestry is financially profitable in spruce-dominated peatland forests

A recent study by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), the Russian Academy of Sciences and the University of Eastern Finland examined the profitability of continuous cover forestry (CCF) in peatland forests. In a mature spruce-dominated peatland forest, CCF may be a financially more profitable option than conventional rotation forestry (RF). This study examined different forest management options in a mature relatively fertile Norway spruce-dominated peatland forest, where stand was …

Policy brief: Definition of paludiculture in the CAP

The European common agricultural policy (CAP) is currently being outlined, and the realization of the emission reduction potential of peatlands is also being discussed. Would paludiculture turn peat fields from a problem into a solution? A number of European research institutes and associations received a request from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG Agri) to provide further information on wetland cultivation in the context of the …

Policy Brief: Climate smart agricultural policy requires a reform of incentives to minimize emissions from cultivated peat soils

Post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must safeguard and stimulate the preservation of carbon-rich soils through protection of peatlands. Functional peatlands are the most space efficient long-term carbon store and sink in our planet’s biosphere. However, croplands on peat soils are currently large emission sources and they account for more than 25% of total emissions from agriculture and agricultural land use in the northern Europe. A group of leading peatland experts …

Blog: Forested peatlands and carbon – an overview

There are several definitions of peatland which depend on various distinguishing factors such as vegetation cover, land use, formation characteristics, hydrology, geochemistry, for example. Different countries apply different definitions as well, hence complicating mutual comparison. According to IPCC, wetlands include any land that is covered or saturated by water for at least part of the year (and that does not fall into the Forest Land, Cropland, or Grassland categories). Peat …

Blog: Future of peatland forestry in Scotland

Peatlands are very important for Scotland since they may cover, dependent on the definition and data source, up to 30% of the total land area, mostly occurring in the north and the country´s west. The Flow Country is the UK’s most extensive peatland region with over 400,000 ha of peat and wetland, of which around 67,000 ha is afforested. Afforestation of peatlands in Scotland started already in the 18th century …