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    <title>Finnish Forest Research Institute Metla - Publications</title>
    <link>http://www.metla.fi/</link>
    <description>Latest publications of Finnish Forest Research Institute Metla</description>
    <pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:40:02 +0200</pubDate>
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    <managingEditor>erkki.kauhanen@metla.fi (Erkki Kauhanen)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>mika.galkin@metla.fi (Mika Galkin)</webMaster>
    <category>Publications</category>
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        <title>Finnish Forest Research Institute Metla - Publications</title>
        <link>http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/index-en.htm</link>
    </image>
    <language>en</language>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[ Impacts of Changes in Forest and Economic Policy and Business Preconditions in Russia and Finland ]]></title>
      <link>http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/workingpapers/2011/mwp218.htm</link>
      <guid>http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/workingpapers/2011/mwp218.htm</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[ This report investigates what have been the changes in Russian forest and economic policy as well as in business preconditions during past years, how these changes have effected the Russian forest sector
and what kinds of effects these changes might have on the Finnish forest sector.

The first chapter of the report takes a look at the different steering measures in Russian forest policy and discusses how they have affected forestry in practice and have the policy objectives been reached. We compare the Finnish and the Russian forest management guidelines and discuss the differences in silvicultural practices of the countries. The second chapter studies the impact of Russian roundwood and sawnwood exports on markets from a Finnish perspective. The third chapter presents the results of a study on the quality of imported sawlogs and grade distributions of sawnwood. The fourth chapterdiscusses the Russian residential networks, what kind of options Russia offers for Finnish timber construction enterprises and what is the economic and employment impact potential in Finland and Northwest Russia. ]]></description>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Välkky, Elina, Viitanen, Jari, Ollonqvist, Pekka ]]></dc:creator>
      <dc:subject><![CDATA[ Russia, forest policy, customs duties, wood quality, import, export, economic impact, international trade, investments, joint interest companies, networks, residential construction, roundwood, sawnwood,
stumpage prices
 ]]></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-02-09T09:00:00+02:00</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[ Renewable Energy and Climate Policies: Studies in the Forest and Energy Sector ]]></title>
      <link>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df136.htm</link>
      <guid>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df136.htm</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[ This dissertation examines the impacts of energy and climate policies on the energy and forest sectors, focusing on the case of Finland. The thesis consists of an introduction article and four separate studies. The dissertation was motivated by the climate concern and the increasing demand of renewable energy. In particular, the renewable energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets of the European Union were driving this work. In Finland, both forest and energy sectors are in key roles in achieving these targets. In fact, the separation between forest and energy sector is diminishing as the energy sector is utilizing increasing amounts of wood in energy production and as the forest sector is becoming more and more important energy producer.&#8236;

&#8234;The objective of this dissertation is to find out and measure the impacts of climate and energy policies on the forest and energy sectors. In climate policy, the focus is on emissions trading, and in energy policy the dissertation focuses on the promotion of renewable forest-based energy use. The dissertation relies on empirical numerical models that are based on microeconomic theory. Numerical partial equilibrium mixed complementarity problem models were constructed to study the markets under scrutiny. The separate studies focus on co-firing of wood biomass and fossil fuels, liquid biofuel production in the pulp and paper industry, and the impacts of climate policy on the pulp and paper sector.&#8236;

&#8234;The dissertation shows that the policies promoting wood-based energy may have have unexpected negative impacts. When feed-in tariff is imposed together with emissions trading, in some plants the production of renewable electricity might decrease as the emissions price increases. The dissertation also shows that in liquid biofuel production, investment subsidy may cause high direct policy costs and other negative impacts when compared to other policy instruments. The results of the dissertation also indicate that from the climate mitigation perspective, perfect competition is the favored wood market competition structure, at least if the emissions trading system is not global.&#8236;

&#8234;In conclusion, this dissertation suggests that when promoting the use of wood biomass in energy production, the favored policy instruments are subsidies that promote directly the renewable energy production (i.e. production subsidy, renewables subsidy or feed-in premium). Also, the policy instrument should be designed to be dependent on the emissions price or on the substitute price. In addition, this dissertation shows that when planning policies to promote wood-based renewable energy, the goals of the policy scheme should be clear before decisions are made on the choice of the policy instruments.&#8236; ]]></description>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kangas, Hanna-Liisa ]]></dc:creator>
      <dc:subject><![CDATA[ bioenergy, co-firing, emissions trading, energy policy, mixed complementarity problem, partial equilibrium ]]></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-01-19T09:00:00+02:00</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[ Wood harvesting and logistics in Russia - focus on research and business opportunities ]]></title>
      <link>http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/workingpapers/2011/mwp210.htm</link>
      <guid>http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/workingpapers/2011/mwp210.htm</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[ The Russian Federation is one of the main trading partners of Finland and the Russian forest sector is an important operational environment for many Finnish forest sector companies. The Russian forest sector
is a quickly changing environment that creates both challenges and opportunities for business. The project had an aim to improve and secure business opportunities and the competitiveness of Finnish
forest-related companies and research in the emerging Russian market through international research.

New research methods and approaches were built and applied within the project to support successful business operations in the specific Russian conditions. Opportunities for further improvements were found at many stages of wood harvesting and logistical operations in Northwest Russia. Extensive field and theoretical studies and close cooperation with the logging companies resulted in a set of tools, models and recommendations which could help to realise the discovered opportunities. Field studies showed that the productivity of wood harvesting in some of the companies in Northwest Russia could be increased on average from 10.7 m3/PMH to 18.0 m3/PMH. Improvements of the quality of stem processing by harvesters were reached using the project’s recommendations on maintenance of delimbing knives. The share of deficient logs (due to unprocessed branches) in the total number of processed stems decreased by 4-6%. A decision support system for optimisation of wood harvesting plans and logistics of logs and energy wood developed and tested in practice demonstrated short and long term positive economic effects. The total run of trucks was decreased by 22% and the fleet utilisation rate was increased by 19% up to 0.89. The positive effect from logistic optimisation can be boosted by proper forest road planning and construction. Investment in construction of forest roads can be economically feasible in the Russian conditions. The project
revealed differences in ergonomics and impacts on the environment between different forest machines and harvesting systems applied in Northwest Russia that will help the logging companies to select
better machines and methods in the future. The results of the project are publicly available and widely disseminated. Utilisation of the achieved results in practice would improve productivity of harvesting operations, human and environmental safety. The project’s results would facilitate harvesting and use of energy wood in Russia which could result in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
 ]]></description>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Goltsev, Vadim, Tolonen, Timo, Syunev, Vladimir, Dahlin, Bo, Gerasimov, Yuri ]]></dc:creator>
      <dc:subject><![CDATA[ wood harvesting, energy wood, technology adaptation, logistic optimisation, road planning, road construction
 ]]></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-01-19T09:00:00+02:00</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[ Effects of taxes and climate policy instruments on harvesting of managed forests and on tropical deforestation ]]></title>
      <link>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df139.htm</link>
      <guid>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df139.htm</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[ This dissertation examines the effects of taxes and policy instruments that aim to regulate climate services from forests. It consists of a summary section and four articles. Articles (I) and (II) examine the effects of taxes on management decisions in the context of managed boreal forests distinguished by forest-owners’ amenity preferences and also their age. Articles (III) and (IV) examine the role of carbon-based policy instruments in the presence of taxes on land incomes in curbing tropical deforestation. 
Article (I) reveals that the intensity of forest-owners’ preferences for forest amenities affects the non-neutrality of forest taxes pertaining to forest harvesting. Therefore, the effects of taxes depend on this intensity. This highlights the importance of developing methods to measure forest-owners’ amenity preferences quantitatively. Article (II) shows that the age of forest-owners governs their propensity to consume as opposed to leave bequests. Furthermore, it shown that the effects of capital income and inheritance taxes vary across different age-groups of forest-owners. Article (III) demonstrates that taxes on forestry and cash-crop incomes, per se, may be ineffective in curbing tropical forest loss. The carbon payments may complement these taxes, and an effective policy to combat tropical deforestation should jointly target forestry and cash-crop sectors. Article (IV) demonstrates the link between carbon compensation policies and land income taxation. An optimal carbon compensation scheme may require that national governments are allowed to use different compensation rates from that applied globally when passing national level compensations on to the local level. These results suggest that existing policies such as taxation should be accounted for in the analysis and design of international carbon policy instruments that aim at enhancing forests’ role in climate change mitigation. ]]></description>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Barua, Sepul K. ]]></dc:creator>
      <dc:subject><![CDATA[ Ageing, amenity preference, carbon payments, nonindustrial private forests, taxes, tropical deforestation ]]></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-01-17T09:00:00+02:00</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[ Estimating forest growth and carbon balance based on climate-sensitive forest growth model and remote sensing data ]]></title>
      <link>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df138.htm</link>
      <guid>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df138.htm</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[ A climate-sensitive process-based summary model was used to estimate forest growth and carbon balance with field inventory and airborne laser scanning data, which are easily available for practical forest planning purposes. The generalisation of forest carbon balance estimations for large areas was examined by using a k nearest neighbour imputation with Landsat satellite images. The estimations were evaluated using several data sets mainly provided by the National Forest Inventory of Finland. Also, the most common empirical forest growth models used in Finland were evaluated and compared against the process-based approach.

Reliability of the empirical and process-based summary models was at a similar level in the short run. In longer simulations, the role of mortality and regeneration models becomes increasingly important, so these models require special attention and further developing efforts in both approaches. In warming climate conditions or when testing new kind of management regimes, process-based approaches or hybrid models would be the most reasonable solution. However, further testing of the approach is required for a wider range of site types, tree species, mixed forests, geographical areas, as well as longer simulation periods, in order to draw conclusions of their reliability in larger scale use. There are also several development needs in the tested approach, such as adding nitrogen and water uptake processes to the simulator, linking it with mortality and regeneration models, as well as parameterising the model to peat lands.

The developed approach can be expanded to estimating carbon fluxes for large areas with LiDAR data. It could be linked with  forest planning frameworks, which would accommodate for carbon balance issues in practical planning and optimisation tasks. The approach contains building blocks for developing a visual tool for examining the effects of forest management in changing environmental and climatic conditions for decision making, research, and policy making purposes. ]]></description>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Härkönen, Sanna ]]></dc:creator>
      <dc:subject><![CDATA[ empirical growth models, process-based growth models, National Forest Inventory, LiDAR, satellite images, k nearest neighbour imputation ]]></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-01-11T09:00:00+02:00</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[ Phytophthora in Finnish nurseries ]]></title>
      <link>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df137.htm</link>
      <guid>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df137.htm</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[ Human-mediated movement of plants and plant products is now generally accepted to be the primary mode of introduction of pathogens and pests. Species of the plant-pathogenic genus Phytophthora are commonly spread in this way and have caused severe epidemics in silviculture, horticulture and natural systems all over the world.

The objective of the study was to gather information on the occurrence of Phytophthora spp. in Finnish nurseries, produce information for risk assessments for these species, and establish molecular means for their detection. 

Phytophthora cactorum was found to persist in natural waterbodies and results suggest that irrigation water might be a source of inoculum for the disease in nurseries. Isolations from ornamental Rhododendron yielded three species new to Finland: P. ramorum, P. plurivora and P. pini. Phytophthora ramorum was able to persist in the nursery in spite of an annual sanitation protocol. Phytophthora plurivora and the closely related P. pini had had higher infectivity rates and more hosts among Nordic tree and plant species than P. ramorum and P. cactorum. All four species survived two weeks in -5 °C , and thus soil survival in Finland is likely under current climatic conditions.

Picea abies was highly susceptible to P. plurivora and P. pini in pathogenicity trials. In P. abies shoot tissues inoculated with P. plurivora zoospores, fast necrotrophic growth was observed in nearly all tissues. In this study, a PCR-DGGE technique was developed for simultaneous detection and identification of Phytophthora spp. It reliably detected Phytophthora in plant tissues and could discriminate most test species as well as indicate multiple-species infections. 

All of the introduced species of Phytophthora had properties that promote a high risk of establishment in Finland. Due to transport via commercial traffic, it is probable that pathogens of this genus will be introduced and become established in Finland and other Nordic countries. ]]></description>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Rytkönen, Anna ]]></dc:creator>
      <dc:subject><![CDATA[ Phytophthora, pathogenicity, survival, molecular detection, DGGE ]]></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-12-08T09:00:00+02:00</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[ ROOTS 2011 WORKSHOP, Abstracts, Joensuu, Finland,13-14 December 2011 ]]></title>
      <link>http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/workingpapers/2011/mwp214.htm</link>
      <guid>http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/workingpapers/2011/mwp214.htm</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[ The ROOTS 2011 workshop will be organized in Joensuu on the 13th -14th December, jointly by Metla, Joensuu Research Unit and the University of Eastern Finland, School of ForestSciences. The workshop aims to provide an update to current root research in Finland. The previous root seminar was held in Joensuu 13 years ago. Meanwhile quite a lot of water has passed in the Pielisjoki river, and much new knowledge has accumulated concerning growth and function of roots to be discussed. The current meeting brings together 40 scientists working in the field of root research. The topics of the presentations deal with innovative
methodological developments, studies on responses of roots to environmental stresses and root biomass and dynamics in different environments. This Working Paper includes the abstracts of 21 oral presentations and 8 posters. We hope that the workshop will serve as a way for networking between senior and junior researchers, and would provide a forum for fruitful discussions concerning the current hot topics in root research. ]]></description>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Roitto, Marja, Lehto, Tarja, Sutinen, Sirkka, Finér, Leena, Repo, Tapani ]]></dc:creator>
      <dc:subject><![CDATA[ Abiotic stress, biomass, biotic stress, climate change, growth, methods, mycorrhiza, root

 ]]></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-12-07T09:00:00+02:00</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[ Harvesting of undelimbed Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from first thinnings for integrated production of kraft pulp and energy ]]></title>
      <link>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df133.htm</link>
      <guid>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df133.htm</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[ The present study evaluates the feasibility of undelimbed Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) for integrated production of pulp and energy in a kraft pulp mill from the technical, economic and environmental points of view, focusing on the potential of bundle harvesting. 

The feasibility of tree sections for pulp production was tested by conducting an industrial wood-handling experiment, laboratory cooking and bleaching trials, using conventional small-diameter Scots pine pulpwood as a reference. These trials showed that undelimbed Scots pine sections can be processed in favourable conditions as a blend with conventional small-diameter pulpwood without reducing the pulp quality. However, fibre losses at various phases of the process may increase when using undelimbed material. 

In the economic evaluation, both pulp production and wood procurement costs were considered, using the relative wood paying capability of a kraft pulp mill as a determinant. The calculations were made for three Scots pine first-thinning stands with the breast-height diameter of the removal (6 12 cm) as the main distinctive factor. The supply chains included in the comparison were based on cut-to-length harvesting, whole-tree harvesting and bundle harvesting (whole-tree bundling). With the current ratio of pulp and energy prices, the wood paying capability declines with an increase in the proportion of the energy fraction of the raw material. The supply system based on the cut-to-length method was the most efficient option, resulting in the highest residual value at stump in most cases. A decline in the pulp price and an increase in the energy price improved the competitiveness of the whole-tree systems. With short truck transportation distances and low pulp prices, however, the harvesting of loose whole trees can result in higher residual value at stump in small-diameter stands. While savings in transportation costs did not compensate for the high cutting and compaction costs by the second prototype of the bundle harvester, an increase in transportation distances improved its competitiveness. 

Since harvesting undelimbed assortments increases nutrient export from the site, which can affect soil productivity, the whole-tree alternatives included in the present study cannot be recommended on infertile peatlands and mineral soils. The harvesting of loose whole trees or bundled whole trees implies a reduction in protective logging residues and an increase in site traffic or payloads. These factors increase the risk of soil damage, especially on peat soils with poor bearing capacity. Within the wood procurement parameters which were examined, the CO2 emissions of the supply systems varied from 13 27 kg m3. Compaction of whole trees into bundles reduced emissions from transportation by 30 39%, but these reductions were insufficient to compensate for the increased emissions from cutting and compaction.
 ]]></description>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Jylhä, Paula ]]></dc:creator>
      <dc:subject><![CDATA[ first thinning,integrated harvesting,Scots pine,wood paying capability, kraft pulp ]]></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-12-05T09:00:00+02:00</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[ Bioenergy knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes among young citizens - from cross-national surveys to conceptual model ]]></title>
      <link>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df135.htm</link>
      <guid>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df135.htm</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[ This dissertation has investigated young students’ knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes related to bioenergy with the help of cross-national data and used statistical models to explain their intentions to use bioenergy. A self-constructed survey instrument was used in the study to collect data from 15-year-old 1903 school students in Finland, Taiwan, Turkey, and Slovakia. 

The study found that the majority of the students appeared to have basic level of bioenergy knowledge, whereas only a minority among them demonstrated a higher level of such knowledge. The students appeared to be very critical in their perceptions of forest-based bioenergy production; however, they demonstrated their positive attitudes to bioenergy including their intentions to use it. It became apparent that the students with a higher level of bioenergy-knowledge were more critical in terms of their both perceptions of and attitudes to bioenergy than those with a shallow knowledge of it. The study has found that school, home, and media discussions of bioenergy, as perceived by the Finnish students, have significant effects on their knowledge, perceptions and attitudes related to bioenergy. The study found three key dimensions from the cross-national data depicting different facets of the students’ perceptions of and attitudes to bioenergy. The conceptual models based on regression analysis revealed that the students’ intentions to use bioenergy in general could be explained by considering their perceptions of the societal aspects related to bioenergy.

It is recommended that the bioenergy policy makers and professionals must raise the awareness of bioenergy among young students in our society and regard them as an important target group while formulating bioenergy policies. The results of this research support the idea of increasing collaboration between bioenergy policies and bioenergy education strategies for school students.
 ]]></description>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Halder, Pradipta ]]></dc:creator>
      <dc:subject><![CDATA[ Attitudes, bioenergy, conceptual model, knowledge, perceptions, policy ]]></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-11-11T09:00:00+02:00</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[ Photosynthesis of ground vegetation in boreal Scots pine forests ]]></title>
      <link>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df132.htm</link>
      <guid>http://www.metla.fi/dissertationes/df132.htm</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[ Research on carbon uptake in boreal forests has mainly focused on mature trees, even though ground vegetation species are effective assimilators and can substantially contribute to the CO2 uptake of forests. Here, I examine the photosynthesis of the most common species of ground vegetation in a series of differently aged Scots pine stands, and at two clear-cut sites with substantial differences in fertility.

In general, the biomass of evergreen species was highest at poor sites and below canopies, whereas grasses and herbs predominated at fertile open sites. Unlike mosses, the measured vascular species showed clear annual cycles in their photosynthetic activity, which increased earlier and decreased later in evergreen vascular species than in deciduous species. However, intraspecific variation and self-shading create differences in the overall level of photosynthesis. Light, temperature history, soil moisture and recent possible frosts could explain the changes in photosynthesis of low shrubs and partially also some changes in deciduous species. Light and the occurrence of rain events explained most of the variation in the photosynthesis of mosses. The photosynthetic production of ground vegetation was first upscaled, using species-specific and mass-based photosynthetic activities and average biomass of the site, and then integrated over the growing season, using changes in environmental factors. Leaf mass-based photosynthesis was highest in deciduous species, resulting in notably higher photosynthetic production at fertile sites than at poor clear-cut sites. The photosynthetic production decreased with stand age, because flora changed towards evergreen species, and light levels diminished below the canopy. In addition, the leaf mass-based photosynthetic activity of some low shrubs declined with the age of the surrounding trees. Different measuring methods led to different momentary rate of photosynthesis. Therefore, the choice of measuring method needs special attention. ]]></description>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kulmala, Liisa ]]></dc:creator>
      <dc:subject><![CDATA[ CO2 exchange, chamber method, forest floor, mosses, low shrubs, annual cycle ]]></dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-11-03T09:00:00+02:00</dc:date>
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