According to an article from SVT (Jan 2023), damaged forests have become a major problem in northern Sweden and risk becoming even bigger in the future. The Swedish Farmers' Union (LRF) in Norrbotten believes that the county's forest owners need to address the problem of infestation by the thorny caterpillar fungus, also known as thorny caterpillar rust.
- We risk having a shortage of timber," says Jenny Karlsson, forest owner and chair of LRF Norrbotten.
A survey conducted by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) on behalf of the Swedish Forest Agency shows that 40 per cent of forests in northern Sweden are multi-damaged. And when it comes to pine trees, the figure is even higher, 48 per cent. Norrbotten is particularly affected, where as much as 60 per cent or more of a younger stand may be infested.
Forests die and land loses value.
She herself has suffered from both grazing damage and infestations of the dry rot fungus in her fields. In addition, the dry rot fungus is more likely to attack the tree when the tree is already damaged by grazing.
- We need to address this now, otherwise there will be major consequences. Firstly, for the forest owner when a lot of forest dies and the land loses value. But the big problem is in the long term, where we risk having a shortage of timber when the forest that grows up today is ready for felling," says Jenny Karlsson.
Historically, she sees several reasons why the damage has been so great due to the forest management policy that has been pursued.
- In the 50s and 60s we sprayed the deciduous trees off our land and deciduous trees are actually the moose's first choice of food. Then came the directive that pine trees infested with thorn caterpillars should be saved to provide nesting sites for birds. But that didn't turn out to be a good idea because they became major vectors of infection," says Jenny Karlsson.
