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The Swedish forest is threatened. Every yr, the forestry trade clears round 250,000 hectares – an space concerning the measurement of the state of Luxembourg. Environmentalists warn concerning the penalties of clear-cutting.
The early morning fog nonetheless hangs over the small city of Särna in western Sweden. Sebastian Kirrpu is already on the way in which. The Swede desires to point out two biology college students from France an actual Swedish pure forest. It goes over hill and dale, and after a couple of minutes Kirrpu finds what he was on the lookout for: “Look here, my favorite mushroom!”
Kirrpu kneels by a useless tree trunk and makes use of his knife to chop off a chunk of the amber-colored mushroom. “We Swedes call it ‘Lappticka’.” This fungus is barely present in very previous pure forests and, ecologically talking, this forest right here is between 8,000 and 10,000 years previous.”
Preserving such historic forests in Sweden is Kirrpu’s life’s work. “Protect the Forest” is the title of his small group. She desires to supply details about the habitat of fungi, vegetation and animals. “If you were to clear a forest like this here, mushrooms like this would disappear. They can’t survive. And that’s a huge danger in Sweden right now.”
“We Swedes call it ‘Lappticka’,” says forest activist Sebastian Kirrpu when he discovers the mushroom. If the forest had been cleared, such mushrooms would additionally disappear, he explains.
Wood is a vital export commodity for Sweden
The hazard Kirrpu speaks of is only some kilometers away. The Swede takes his company from France to a spot that has just lately been cleared. By clearcutting. Around 70 hectares of forest are gone. “At the beginning people were still upset about it,” says the forest activist. “But in Sweden it’s been going on like this for 60 or 70 years. And today’s generation often thinks that it’s completely normal here.”
The clear-cutting technique as soon as got here from Germany. Sweden is sticking to it to this present day. Also as a result of it’s cheaper than simply felling particular person bushes. Every yr, Sweden clears 250,000 hectares of forest – an space the scale of the nation of Luxembourg. Wood is a vital uncooked materials and an export product for Sweden.
As lumber, paper or cardboard it goes primarily to the EU, but in addition to India. The Swedish Cellulose Company SCA manages round two and a half million hectares of forests throughout the nation.
New vegetation are rising within the plantation of the Swedish Cellulose Company SCA.
No understanding of criticism of forest clearing
Ola Kårén and his colleagues select the place clearing can happen and maintain the replenishment. “When we cut down, we first determine the type of tree: coniferous or deciduous. We examine the soil. And then plant new seedlings. We do this planning many years in advance so that we always have supplies.”
Kårén can’t perceive criticism of the forest clearing. On a plantation he exhibits what his firm is presently investing in. Hundreds of thick fir bushes develop on the positioning.
We selected these vegetation as a result of they’re the very best. Their seeds create bushes that develop 30 % sooner. This additionally implies that they will bind carbon dioxide extra rapidly. And these bushes may even higher adapt to future local weather modifications. So now we have a sort of insurance coverage for local weather change right here.
Sweden’s forest operators connect nice significance to reforesting all cleared areas.
Sebastian Kirrpu is dedicated to preventing the systematic clearing of pure forests in Sweden.
Reforestation – “Diversity limited”
Bengt-Gunnar Jonsson conducts analysis on the University of Sundsvall. He warns: The forestry and forestry trade has already modified 70 % of the nation’s forested areas.
The result’s that range is restricted. Because they normally solely replant one kind of tree. So, for instance, we get pure spruce or pure pine forests. But the organisms in a forest depend upon a substantial amount of range. You want small and enormous bushes, previous and useless. But this not has a spot in our forestry trade.
Are pure forests disappearing?
Sweden’s pure forests had been created over lots of of years, says Jonsson. If deforestation in Sweden continues as earlier than, they may quickly disappear utterly. “An area where trees grow? We have enough of that in Sweden. But if we understand forests as an ecosystem in which nature functions and all species have their habitat, we have very little forest left in Sweden.”
Forest activist Sebastian Kirrpu has now arrived at his favourite place together with his company from France. From up right here you may see all the way in which to Norway. Across actual pure forest. “In Sweden it is often said: We have a beautiful country with a lot of forest. But that’s not true. This is one of the few places with natural forest. That hardly exists anymore.”
His combat towards the forest trade – in all probability hopeless. The Swede nonetheless desires to proceed. For the sake of the pure forest.
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/bedrohte-naturwaelder-schweden-100.html