Collaborations at the core of Future Forests
Future Forests is a research program on boreal forests and a stakeholder platform. Collaboration between researchers from different scientific disciplines and practitioners from different sectors of society is at the core of the program.
For a starter, Future Forests is a joint research initiative between Swedish University of Agricultural sciences (SLU), Umeå University and the Forestry Research Institute of Sweden. It is financed by Mistra (The Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research), Swedish forestry, and the research institutions involved — together. Now well into the second year of the programme, there are about 60 researchers contracted for Future Forests. They are all collaborating in larger and smaller constellations. The ambition is that a good part of the program´s research shall be interdisciplinary, and in that way gather researchers from different scientific fields focusing at the same questions. - To me this interdisciplinary approach is especially exciting. Now I have an opportunity to learn how researchers in humanities and in social sciences think and reason on these issues, says Hjalmar Laudon, professor at SLU and research leader for Future Forests´ Component Project Soil and water. Future Forests is also collaborating with other large research programs, among others Stockholm Resilience Center, Mistra-Swecia, Formas Strong Research Environments: A research platform on tree retention, Outdoor Recreation in Change (funded by the Swedish EPA), European Forest Outlook Study (FAO), and Baccara (7th Framework Programme) (see PDF). To further encourage collaboration between Future Forests-researchers and other Swedish and international scientists, the program finances Thematic Working Groups. The main task for these groups is to analyze and synthesize complex research questions. The working groups are formed on an ad hoc basis and engage 5-15 persons who work intensely in repeated workshops. At the moment there are four Thematic Working Groups running (see PDF). Large scale field experiments In addition Future Forests has several collaborations with practitioners, and their organizations, from different sectors of society. One example is large scale field experiments together with Sveaskog, focusing on intensive forestry in two “growth parks" (Strömsjöliden and Asa). Another example is a large scale project together with Holmen Skog AB with the objective to evaluate different strategies of active forest management for increased ecological value of the forest (see PDF). - Future Forests is science in combination with joy and commitment. It feels very fun and it is a tremendous challenge, says Marie André, Mellanskog and a member of Future Forests´ Panel of Practitioners.
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