Forest and wood

Forestry and the forest industry are major economic sectors in Sweden. The forest is a carbon sink since it binds carbon dioxide while growing. Branches, tree tops and stumps are currently more used as bioenergy after felling. Forests are also the habitat of many animals and plants, and a vital source of outdoor leisure activities, such as hunting, fishing and hiking. The objectives of SLU research are to gain a better understanding of the different functions of the forests and to make best possible use of the opportunities it offers. Some areas of research are forest economy, biology, ecology, soil and wood sciences. Forest growth, development and environmental changes are reported yearly in the Swedish National Forest Inventory. This work is included in SLU's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment programme Forest, which further develops SLU's role as a centre of excellence for Swedish and international environmental analysis in the forest sector.