SHIFTING TO CONTINUOUS COVER FORESTRY ON PEATLAND
Forest regeneration, soil greenhouse gas fluxes, and site water balance are studied following harvesting of overstorey pine and release of spruce-birch understorey. Conventional clearcut + ditch mounding + planting of spruce seedlings, as well as uncut forest, are used as control treatments.
Potential benefits of continuous forest cover forestry practices:
- Lower impact to environment conditions in forest stand
- Remaining tree stand evapotranspiration controls soil water-table
- Reduced/no need for ditch network maintenance
- Reduced change in soil CO2 emission after harvesting
- Reduced inputs of water and plant nutrients to surface water bodies
The LIFE OrgBalt project aims to implement a wide range of innovative organic soil management measures to demonstrate how these areas can be managed sustainably, taking into account economic, social and climate aspects. 16 project demonstration sites have been established in Latvia and Finland. LIFE OrgBalt studies greenhouse gas emissions from managed organic soils – In total 51 sites are measured – they include all project demonstration sites and reference sites.
