Felton2016: Replace monoculture with mixed forests

Felton and and co-workers review the literature on replacing monocultures of Norway spruce by mixed forest with either spruce and birch or spruce and Scots pine. The mixed forests have a positive effect on biodiversity and reduce risks for damage due to pests and pathogens. Even windthrows are projected to be reduced in mixed forests. The Swedish government introduced support for converting to mixed forests after the Gudrun hurricane (2005) to replace the lost 75 million m3 of timber. Authors discuss the fact that the conversion to mixed forests did not happen because land owners were unsure of the advantages. Therefore the areas were replanted predominantly with spruce. Read the whole article in Ambio.