To understand how intensive forests management can be used to increase the forest biomass production in a sustainable and cost-efficient way.

Essentials: Intensive forest management and cost-efficient production of forest biomass (timber and energy biomass); the production potential of forest biomass for different tree species and site fertility types (main focus on boreal conditions); the gains of tree breeding and use of qualified seed and seedling material in forest regeneration (main domestic tree species); environmental impacts (e.g. nutrient losses and CO₂ emissions) for intensive production of forest biomass and their governance.

Complementary knowledge: Use of forest ecosystem modeling and life cycle assessment (LCA) for evaluation of sustainability of forest biomass production in boreal conditions.

Lectures (16 hours), final examination for lecture material and required literature.

Kellomäki, S., Kilpeläinen, A., Alam, A. (eds). Forest BioEnergy Production: Management, Carbon sequestration and Adaptation (2013).

Lecture handouts and additional reading material provided by teachers (set of scientific research articles).

0-5

Senior researcher Antti Kilpeläinen, guest lecturers

Basic/advanced level understanding is required for the silvicultural practices and dynamics of boreal forest ecosystems and its links to environmental conditions and silviculture in order to participate in this M.Sc. course. As pre-reading material, Rantala, S. (edt). 2011. Finnish Forestry – Practice and management (pp. 1-142 and 173-234), is suggested for M.Sc. students having no B.Sc. (Agr. and For.) degree at the School of Forest Sciences.

Autumn 2021 (1^st period). Will be organized every other year.

Joensuu

The language of instruction is English. The priority is given for the M.Sc. students of the School of Forest Sciences.