Abstract
Increased demands for bio fuel due to climate change policy have increased the pressure on forestry to produce more biomass. Both conventional and high intensity fertilization are pointed out as measures with high profitability, suitable to meet increased market demands for forest products, but the ecological effects are pointed out as crucial knowledge gaps. The overarching aim of this project is, as one of the very first empirical studies, to evaluate how intensive fertilization in young stands impact biodiversity including insects, small mammals, mosses, lichens and vascular plants. We will use a large scale field study in southern Sweden including 11 fertilized stands and 11 unfertilized control stands. To access the effects of intensive fertilization on stand and landscape scale and in relation to important environmental factors we will survey the targeted organism groups in the study stands but also measure important habitat characteristics e.g. canopy closure, moisture and temperature. We will analyze beta diversity among the study stands to evaluate if intensive fertilization increase similarity of the species assemblages. To put intensive fertilization in relation to larger scale environmental factors we will include the surrounding landscape in our models. The results from this project will be an important contribution to our understanding of the ecological effects of intensive fertilization and will be directly usable in decision making and policy development.
Sweden