Forest Management for Timber Production and Climate Change Mitigation

The research career of Prof. Seppo Kellomäki has spanned from the early 1970s to today. His research activities deal mainly with the structure and functioning of boreal forests and sustainable management of boreal forests for varying ecosystem goods and services. His early studies focused on the multiple uses of forest and management of Scots pine forest for high-quality timber. However, his main contribution to forest science deals with climate change impacts on the dynamics of the boreal forest ecosystem in conditions where forests and forest-based industry are important for the welfare of society.  In this context, his focus has been on experimental studies on how the elevating temperature, atmospheric carbon dioxide, and changes in precipitation likely affect the physiology and growth of boreal tree species. These studies have provided a solid base for modelling. This has made it possible to understand how climate change likely affects the long-term dynamics of the boreal forest ecosystem and the future of forest management. The main questions have been how management should be used and developed to avoid detrimental effects of successional dynamics and management of boreal forest ecosystem for different ecosystem services. Many of his research papers further address the problems of how forest management and forests should be adapted to climate warming in the boreal conditions, and how management might be used to mitigate warming.

Chapter 1: Forests and global change.- Part I: Boreal forests and carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems.- Chapter 2: Global forests, with a focus on boreal forests.- Chapter 3: Dynamics of carbon in boreal forest ecosystems.- Part II: Carbon dynamics in boreal forest landscapes.- Chapter 4: Carbon in the shifting mosaics of forest landscapes.- Chapter 5: Carbon dynamics with links to growth and mortality of trees and ground vegetation.- Part III: Management of boreal forests for different ecosystem services.- Chapter 6: Management for timber production and carbon sequestration.- Chapter 7: Soil management impacts on soil carbon.- Chapter 8: Reforestation with impacts on carbon stocks in boreal forest ecosystem.- Chapter 9: Impacts of precommercial management on forest carbon dynamics.- Chapter 10: Commercial thinning and selective cutting with impacts on forest carbon.- Chapter 11: Effect of fertilization on carbon in boreal ecosystems.- Part IV: Management of boreal forests for timber production and climate change mitigation.- Chapter 12: Carbon management for mitigating of climatic warming.- Chapter 13: Mitigation of climatic warming in forestry.- PART V: Management of carbon in boreal forests for timber and climatic benefits - overall review.- Chapter 14: Management of carbon in boreal forests for climatic benefits - overall review.