- Established:
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2019
- Affiliation:
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Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology
- Academic discipline:
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Nature, biology and environment
Photo:
Hanne K. Sjølie/HINN
The forest group’s base is the Evenstad Campus at The Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences (HINN). This Campus is located in the core of Norway’s region Innlandet , which contains the largest amount of productive forests among all Norwegian regions. This makes up 26% of all Norway’s productive forests which supplies 40% of the domestically harvested wood. Norway’s largest river Glomma in the valley Østerdalen is a core area for the development of wood production and value-added products based on wood.
Based on forests, woodlands and trees, a wide range of land use approaches, landscape management and governance systems have been developed to provide livelihoods for people and raw materials for wood-based value chains. Implementing policies aiming at sustainable forest management requires both traditional management systems for high yields of wood, and a landscape perspective to conserve biodiversity and support rural development through both traditional and new value chains. This requires inclusion of biophysical, anthropogenic and perceived dimensions of forests, and viewing forest landscapes as coupled ecological and social systems. This calls for disciplinary basic and applied research, as well as inter- and transdisciplinary knowledge production and learning.
What we research
We do research on sustainable forest management, about how to supply timber to industry and meet demands for renewable materials and energy cost-effectively and at the same time ensure biodiversity and other goods and services from the forest crucial for human well-being. We study processing and the use of wood materials, and we model how forests, timber supply and wood industries may develop in the future. The forest sector, both as an ecological, economic and a social system is focused in our research. We use quantitative and qualitative methods, applying i.a. remote sensing techniques, statistical modeling, simulations, market modeling, transdisciplinary narratives and policy analyses.
More about the research group
We have several ongoing research projects that touch upon these issues, including assessment of future forest resources, how to reconcile biodiversity conservation with timber production, forest owner behavior, forestry as a workplace and the use of wood products along with the use of reclaimed and recycled wood.
In addition, we are active in pedagogical development and collaboration about forestry education. We transfers knowledge to forestry students through teaching and supervision at the bachelor, master and PhD levels, based on the idea that students learn the best when they are active participants in the learning process. We benefit strongly from our location, and we use the great surroundings frequently for field work and visits to and by forestry actors during class, knowing that seeing and trying things in real enhance students’ motivation and learning outcomes.
Ongoing research projects
- Circular use of wood for increased sustainability and innovation (circWOOD) (Project homepage) The circWOOD project will assess potentials and for reuse and recycling of wood in the Norwegian economy, with emphasis on the construction sector. Economic, technical and regulatory barriers are assesed, together with environmental impacts of new strategies and technologies that contribute to circularity. HINN leads the work on regulatory barriers, attitudes of agents in the value chain towards recycled wood and developing a roadmap for increased circularity in the wood-construction value chain. Financed by the Research Council of Norway (Green Platform call). PhD student: Shumaila Khatri WP leader: Hanne K. Sjølie
- Forests and wildlife under pressure – systems analysis for sustainable solutions (TaigaClimate) (Project homepage) The project addresses the interplay between timber production, wildlife management, and climate change effects in boreal forests. By creating scenarios together key stakeholders and utilizing machine learning, the project aims to provide a user-friendly online tool for assessing sustainable solutions in forestry, wildlife, recreation, and biodiversity under various climate change scenarios. As part of the project, we further develop an individual tree-simulator. Financed by the Research Council of Norway. PhD student: Lucas N. Lopez. Other participants: Endre H. Hansen, Vladimir Naumov, Hanne K. Sjølie
- Decision support tools for analyses of forest management and ecosystem services (2020-2024) Development of a new individial-tre simulator to simulate forest growth and yields, carbon and biodiversity for the next centuries in Norway. The simulator is open-source and is available in GitHub and the paper describing can be read (open access) here. PhD student: Abbas Nabhani
- Inventory data to analyse spatio-temporal drivers of Nordic forests (Project homepage) The project will analyze possibilities for enhanced use of forest inventory data combined with socio-economic data of forest systems, also across countries. Train young researchers in the field is also an important component of the project. Financed by Nordic Forest Research. Project lead: Hanne K. Sjølie
- Maintaining key habitats and forest structures for vulnerable biodiversity in managed Eastern Norwegian boreal forests Industrial PhD project with the forest owner association Glommen Mjøsen Skog. PhD student: Ane Tange, Advisors: Gunnar Austrheim (NTNU), Hanne K. Sjølie. Financed by the Research Council of Norway
- 21st Century Climate-Smart Forestry Education for Livelihood and Sustainability in South Africa (Forest21) (Project homepage) FOREST21 is a joint project for strengthening capacity in South African higher education in forestry. The project is implemented in collaboration of five higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa that have forestry curricula or will start teaching forestry. Financed by ERASMUS+. WP leader: Vladimir Naumov
- Sustainable silvopasture systems in the boreal forest for sheep production, forestry and multipurpose values (BorealSheep) (2023-2027) The project looks at sheep grazing in boreal coniferous forest in Norway and compares different grazing systems. The project aims to develop sustainable grazing systems for sheep in the coniferous forest based on practical improvements. Financed by the Research Council of Norway. WP leader: Per Angelstam
- Barriers and bridges for forest management and woodland grazing in Norway: A multifunctionality approach at regional scale. The project examines the spatial and temporal dynamics of habitats for both livestock and wild ungulates within Norwegian landscapes and aims to understand the underlying drivers of this dynamics. PhD student: Solomon Beyene. Advisors: Vladimir Naumov, Per Angelstam
The members of our group have very different professional backgrounds and origins. This brings very valuable perspectives to teaching and research.
We have extensive ongoing collaboration with academic partners as well as businesses, public administration and other stakeholders, in teaching and research, from the regional to the national and international level. Collaboration takes place in research projects, guest teaching, student theses and internship and other formal and informal meeting points. We are also engaged in several wood sector/forestry business clusters. We draw on the distinctive character of our geographical context at multiple scales and uses the strategic directions from businesses and regional public administration as lever.
In 2022, we were awarded the Collaboration prize from HINN due to the strong and multi-faceted collaboration with forest sector companies, agents and stakeholders.
Recently completed projects
Forestry – a workplace for everyone? (Skogbruket – en arbeidsplass for alle?) See link for more details.
Previously run eduaction projects
Contact the research group
