The main focus of my project will be to model forest damages in an effort to further understand how climate change will influence the occurence, development, and interaction between a number of abiotic and biotic disturbances. From this knowledge, we can adapt forest management to balance a wide variety of objectives. Four studies will be carried out:
1. Storm Damage: This study will model how management can influence the vulnerability of stands to wind damage, focusing on the structure of forest edges.
2. Fire: This study will aim to explain how the presence of broadleaves and water in the landscape influence the spread (or lack thereof) of forest fires.
3. Drought: Using long-term measurements from Asa Experiment Park, we will model how the growth of spruce stands in southern Sweden is influenced by drought at the time of occurence and in the following years.
4. Bark Beetle: Combining the gathered knowledge on risks of different damages and future temperature/precipitation predictions, we will model the risk of bark beetle damage under anticipated conditions.
From all of these studies, we can synthesize the results into recommendations for management to maintain growth and economy, as well as consider ecological objectives.
