Karin Hjelm

Senior lecturer and associate professor in forest management with focus on regeneration

Program director of studies for the bachelor program “Forest and Landscape” and the master program “Skogsbruk med många mål”.

Course leader for the course "Forest managment methods" and teacher in several courses at the department. 

I'm an associate professor in forest management with focus on regeneration. My research focuses mainly on the chain from nursery production to established seedling in the field, including how nursery regimes and silvicultural practices in the regeneration phase affect seedling survival, damage and growth. The effects of regeneration measures applied early in a rotation may have large effects on the forest development and composition also in the long run. The effects of these factors are therefore studied both in the short term and the long term, and impacts both on micro-level and site-level are explored. 

I'm one of the program leaders of FRAS II, a joint research program with Skogforsk, LNU and the forest sector in southern Sweden.

I'm also invovled in projects related to Trees For Me centre of excellence and SLU Forest Damage Centre.

Main supervisor

Edzus Romans, ongoing PhD student 2023-, main supervisor. Assistant supervisors Erika Olofsson, LNU, Mattias Berglund, Skogforsk, Luis André Guillén Alm, SLU.“Forest regeneration chains”. SLU.

Kinga Stolarek ongoing PhD student 2023-, main supervisor. Assistant supervisors Daniel Gräns, SLU, Michelle Cleary, SLU. “Seedlings and regeneration procedures for future birch forests”. SLU.

Matej Domevscik, ongoing PhD student 2022-, main supervisor. Assistant supervisors Kristina Wallertz, SLU, Annika Nordin, SLU, Mikolaj Lula, SLU. ”Artificial regenerations for future climate”. SLU.

Co-supervisor

Alma Gustavsson Ruus ongoing PhD student 2023-, assistant supervisor. Main supervisor Åke Olsson, SLU, assistant supervisors Daniel Gräns, SLU, Audrius Menkins, SLU. “Plants for planting”. SLU.

Erik Arvidsson ongoing PhD student 2022-, assistant supervisor. Main supervisor Magnus Karlberg, LTU, assistant supervisors Håkan Lideskog, LTU. “Autonomous broadleaf regeneration”. Luleå University of Technology.

David Akowuah, ongoing PhD student 2022-, assistant supervisor. Main supervisor Andrew Nelson, UI. “Interactions between competing vegetation and planted Douglas-fir and western larch in young plantations in northern Idaho”. University of Idaho.

Andis Zvirgzdins, ongoing PhD student 2020-, assistant supervisor. Main supervisor Urban Nilsson, SLU. “Establishment and management of planted birch”. SLU.

Axelina Jonsson ongoing PhD student 2019-, assistant supervisor. Main supervisor Urban Nilsson, SLU, assistant supervisor Tomas Lämås, SLU. “Models for establishment of planted and naturally regenerated forests”. SLU.

Articles in Peer Reviewed Journals

Nilsson, O., Nilsson, U., Näsholm, T., Cook, R. & Hjelm, K. 2024. Nitrogen uptake, retranslocation and potential N2‑fixationin Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings. New Forests. Doi.org/10.1007/s11056-024-10032-21

Nordin P., Olofsson E. & Hjelm K. 2023. Within-site adaptation: growth and mortality of Norway spruce, Scots pine and silver birch seedlings in different planting positions across a soil moisture gradient. Silva Fennica vol. 57 no. 3 article id 23004. 24 p. Doi.org/10.14214/sf.23004

Nordlander, G., Björklund N., Hellqvist, C., Nordenhem, H., Liziniewicz, M. & Hjelm, K. 2023. Trap catch data are poor predictors of damage caused by pine weevil (Hylobius abietis) to conifer seedlings. Forest Ecology and Management. Doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2023.120968

Jonsson, A., Hjelm, K., Lämås, T. & Nilsson, U. 2022. Will intensity of forest regeneration measures improve volume production and economy? Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research. Doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2022.2085784

Nordin, P., Olofsson, E. & Hjelm, K. 2022. Successful spruce regenerations – impact of site preparation and the use of variables from digital elevation models in decision-making. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research. Doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2022.2028895

Sikström, U., Hjelm, K., Holt Hanssen, K., Saksa, T. & Wallertz, K. 2020. Influence of mechanical site preparation on regeneration success of planted conifers in clearcuts in Fennoscandia – a review. Silva Fennica vol. 54 no. 2 article id 10172. Doi.org/10.14214/sf.10172

Hjelm, K., Nilsson, U., Johansson, U. & Per Nordin. 2019. Effects of mechanical site preparation and slash removal on long-term productivity of conifer plantations in Sweden. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 49: 1311–1319. Doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2019-0081

Nilsson, O., Hjelm, K. & Nilsson, U. 2019. Early growth of planted Norway spruce and Scots pine after site preparation in Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research. Doi: 10.1080/02827581.2019.1659398

Hjelm K. & Rytter L. 2018. The demand of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × P. tremuloides) on site conditions for a successful establishment on forest land. Silva Fennica vol. 52 no. 5 article id 10036. 14 p. Doi.org/10.14214/sf.10036

Böhlenius, H., Asp, H. & Hjelm, K. 2018. Differences in Al sensitivity affect establishment of Populus genotypes on acidic forest land. PLoS ONE 13(9):e0204461. Doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0204461

Hjelm, K., Mc Carthy, R. & Rytter, L. 2018 Establishment strategies for poplars, including mulch and plant types, on agricultural land in Sweden. New Forests 49:737-755. Doi.org/10.1007/s11056-018-9652-6

Wallertz, K., Björklund, N., Hjelm, K., Petersson, M. & Sundblad, L-G. 2018. Comparison of different site preparation techniques: quality of planting spots, seedling growth and pine weevil damage. New Forests 49:705-722. Doi.org/10.1007/s11056-018-9634-8

Nordlander, G., Mason, E.G., Hjelm K., Nordenhem H. & Hellqvist C. 2017. Influence of climate and forest management on damage risk by the pine weevil Hylobius abietis in northern Sweden. Silva Fennica 51:5 article id 7751. 20 p. Doi.org/10.14214/sf.7751

Mc Carthy, R., Rytter, L. & Hjelm, K. 2017. Effects of soil preparation methods and plant types on the establishment of poplars on forest land. Annals of Forest Science 74: 47. Doi:10.1007/s13595-017-0647-9

Drössler, L., Fahlvik, N., Wysocka, N., Hjelm, K. & Kuehne, C. 2017. Natural regeneration in a multi-layered Scots pine-Norway spruce forest in southern Sweden after target diameter harvest and soil scarification. Forests 8:35. Doi:10.3390/f8020035

Nordlander, G., Hellqvist, C. & Hjelm, K. 2017. Replanting conifer seedlings after pine weevil emigration in spring decreases feeding damage and seedling mortality. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 32:60-67. Doi:10.1080/02827581.2016.1186220

Holmström, E., Hjelm, K., Karlsson, M. & Nilsson, U. 2016. Scenario analysis of planting density and pre-commercial thinning: will the mixed forest have a chance? European Journal of Forest Research. 135:885. Doi:10.1007/s10342-016-0981-8

Holmström, E., Ekö, P.M., Hjelm, K., Karlsson, M. & Nilsson, U. 2016. Natural regeneration on planted clearcuts - the easy way to mixed forest. Open Journal of Forestry 6:281-294. Doi:10.4236/ojf.2016.64023

Hjelm, K. & Rytter, L. 2016. The influence of soil conditions, with focus on soil acidity, on the establishment of poplar (Populus spp.). New Forests 47:731-750. Doi:10.1007/s11056-016-9541-9

Wallertz, K., Holt Hanssen, K., Hjelm, K. & Sundheim Fløistad, I. 2016. Effects of planting time on pine weevil (Hylobius abietis) damage to Norway spruce seedlings. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 31:262-270. Doi:10.1080/02827581.2015.1125523

Holmström, E., Hjelm, K., Johansson, U., Karlsson, M., Valkonen, S. & Nilsson, U. 2016. Pre-commercial thinning, birch admixture and sprout management in planted Norway spruce stands in South Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 31:56-65. Doi:10.1080/02827581.2015.1055792.

Johansson, K., Hajek, J., Sjölin, O. & Normark E. 2015. Early performance of Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies – a comparison between seedling size, species and geographic location of the planting site. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 30:388-400. Doi:10.1080/02827581.2014.987808

Johansson, K., Ring, E. & Högbom, L. 2013. Effects of pre-harvest fertilization and subsequent soil scarification on the growth of planted Pinus sylvestris seedlings and ground vegetation after clear-felling. Silva Fennica 47. Doi:10.14214/sf.1016

Svensson, T., Högbom, L., Johansson K., Sandén P. & Ring, E. 2013. Effects of previous nitrogen addition on chlorine in forest soil, soil solution and biomass. Biogeochemistry 116:3-13. Doi:10.1007/s10533-013-9888-3.

Johansson, K., Nilsson, U. & Örlander, G. 2013. A comparison of long-term effects of scarification methods on the establishment of Norway spruce. Forestry 86:91–98. Doi:10.1093/forestry/cps062.

Johansson, K., Langvall, O. & Bergh, J. 2012. Optimization of environmental factors affecting initial growth of Norway spruce seedlings. Silva Fennica 46:27–38.

Nordlander, G., Hellqvist, C., Johansson, K. & Nordenhem, H. 2011. Regeneration of European boreal forests: Effectiveness of measures against seedling mortality caused by the pine weevil Hylobius abietis. Forest Ecology and Management 262:2354-2363.

Johansson, K., Nilsson, U. & Allen, H. L. 2007. Interactions between soil scarification and Norway spruce seedling types. New Forests 33:13-27.

Johansson, K., Örlander, G. & Nilsson, U. 2006. Effects of mulching and insecticides on establishment of Norway spruce. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36:2377-2385.

Johansson, K., Söderbergh, I., Nilsson, U. & Allen, H. L. 2005. Effects of scarification and mulch on establishment and growth of six different clones of Picea abies. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 20:421-430.