Quality of regrowth
Here you will find information about the regeneration methods, the proportion of approved regeneration, the proportion of soil preparation and the number of main plants.
The Swedish Forest Agency inventories about 472 regeneration fellings per year. The inventory takes place eight years after regeneration felling in Norrland and six years after in Svealand and Götaland.
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Approved regeneration
As of 1st of April 2022 a new regulation is applied in the Swedish Forestry Act (1979:429). on how many main plants there should be to make an area regarded as in compliance with Section 6 (6§). Results from the Swedish Forest Agencys’ inventory of quality of the regrowth is this year therefore presented for both new and old regulation to facilitate comparability of the statistics. Results on method of regeneration and soil scarification is not affected while some affection may be seen in the results regarding main plants. The largest affection in the time series is regarding percentage of area regarded as in compliance with Swedish Forestry Act (6§).
Approved regeneration according to old regulations
The proportion of regeneration areas that have been assessed as approved under the Forestry Act (6§) in regulations valid until 2021 is 81 percent according to our latest inventory. The approved area was at its highest at 91 percent at the end of the 2010s but has decreased in recent years.
During the 2000s and early 2010s, the proportion of approved regeneration in individual forest management was lower than for other forest owners. The difference between the ownership classes decreased steadily until the inventories in recent years, when the differences have increased again.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year (e.g., 2002 = 2001–2003). The survey was conducted per calendar year from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2021, and per logging season (1 July–30 June) from 2009/2010 to 2019/2020, hence the change in notation.
Percentage of approved regeneration area according to regulations valid until 2021 in the Swedish Forestry Act (6§) at the last inventory was by region:
- Norra Norrland 91 percent,
- Södra Norrland 78 percent,
- Svealand 76 percent and
- Götaland 81 percent.
All regions have had an increasing development since the turn of the millennium until a couple of years ago, when the approved area decreased in all parts of the country. In this year's inventory, we see a decreasing percentage in all the four regions.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year (e.g., 2002 = 2001–2003). The survey was conducted per calendar year from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2021, and per logging season (1 July–30 June) from 2009/2010 to 2019/2020, hence the change in notation.
In figure 1 and 2 above, the results are presented according to the old regulations in Section 6 of the Swedish Forestry Act (1979:429). For the regeneration to be classified as approved, the number of main plants in the inventoried regeneration must amount to at least the prescribed number per hectare and the gap must be below what is prescribed. The inventory instruction is like, but not the same, as the instructions for supervision under the Forestry Act.
Approved regeneration according to new regulations
From 1 April 2022, new regulations apply for how many main plants/main stems must be present for a regeneration to be considered approved.
The proportion of regeneration areas that have been assessed as approved under the Forestry Act (6§) in regulations valid from 2022 is 94 percent according to our latest inventory.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year, for example 2024=2023–2025.
Percentage of approved regeneration area according to regulations valid from 2022 in the Swedish Forestry Act (6§) at the last inventory was by region:
- Norra Norrland 98 percent,
- Södra Norrland 90 percent,
- Svealand 92 percent and
- Götaland 97 percent.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year, for example 2024=2023–2025.
Approved regeneration according to the old and the new regulations
Percentage of regeneration area regarded as in compliance with Swedish Forestry Act (6§) according to old regulations valid until 2021 and new regulations valid from 2022 is shown in the figure below. When comparing the results for both regions and the entire country, the results according to the new regulations show a higher degree of approved regeneration.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year, for example 2024=2023–2025.
According to the old regulations valid until 2021, planting had an approved area of 83 percent at the last inventory. 84 percent of the sown area was approved and 67 percent of the naturally regenerated area was approved. Regeneration without any regeneration measure was lowest with 42 percent approved area. However, this area represents only 2 percent of the total regeneration area.
83 percent of the planted area were approved according to the new regulations valid from 2022. For the sown area the corresponding figure were 78 percent and 65 percent of the naturally regenerated area was approved. Regeneration without any regeneration measure was lowest with 47 percent approved area.
Starting with 1999, the category No measures is listed separately in inventory results. For inventories prior to 1999 No measures is included in Natural regeneration. Before 2007 the category Seeded is published together with Planting. The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year (e.g., 2002 = 2001–2003). The survey was conducted per calendar year from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2021, and per logging season (1 July–30 June) from 2009/2010 to 2019/2020, hence the change in notation.
Method of regeneration
Planting is the most common regeneration method. The results from the latest inventory show that 87 percent of regeneration fellings are planted. Planting has increased significantly since the beginning of the 2000s, when about 60 percent of the area was planted.
In the past, regeneration with so-called natural regeneration was more common than it is today. About one third of the felled area was regenerated with natural regeneration in the early 2000s, compared with 7 percent according to the latest results.
Regeneration by sowing was almost negligible in the early 2000s but increased in the early 2010s to a maximum of 5 percent in the 2012/13 survey. At the last inventory, the proportion of regeneration with sowing was 3 percent.
Approximately 2 percent of the regeneration felled area is not regenerated at all. This is a slight decrease since the beginning of the 2000s, when the share was 3-4 percent of the felled area.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year (e.g., 2002 = 2001–2003). The survey was conducted per calendar year from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2021, and per logging season (1 July–30 June) from 2009/2010 to 2019/2020, hence the change in notation. As of 2024, the results are reported in accordance with the new regulations in Section 6 of the Swedish Forestry Act (in force since 1 April 2022). The requirement for the number of main seedlings for approved regeneration has been revised.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year (e.g., 2002 = 2001–2003). The survey was conducted per calendar year from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2021, and per logging season (1 July–30 June) from 2009/2010 to 2019/2020, hence the change in notation. As of 2024, the results are reported in accordance with the new regulations in Section 6 of the Swedish Forestry Act (in force since 1 April 2022). The requirement for the number of main seedlings/main stems for approved regeneration has been revised.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year (e.g., 2002 = 2001–2003). The survey was conducted per calendar year from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2021, and per logging season (1 July–30 June) from 2009/2010 to 2019/2020, hence the change in notation. As of 2024, the results are reported in accordance with the new regulations in Section 6 of the Swedish Forestry Act (in force since 1 April 2022). The requirement for the number of main seedlings/main stems for approved regeneration has been revised.
The latest results show relatively small changes compared to last year's.
The proportion of soil prepared regeneration area in the country was 86 percent at the last measurement. This is about the same as the results of recent years, but more than in the early 2000s, when about 80 percent of the area was scarified. Scarification is more common in the northern half of the country than in the south.
The proportion of soil scarified planted regeneration area in the country has been relatively stable since the beginning of the 2000s. The latest results show that 91 percent was scarified. The scarified area in 2002 was 89 percent. In Norrland, virtually all the regeneration area that is planted is scarified, 99 percent in Northern Norrland and 98 percent in Southern Norrland, the proportion in Svealand and Götaland is 91 and 77 percent respectively. The proportion of scarified area in Götaland has increased significantly since the record-low result of 67 percent in 2014/15.
According to the latest inventory, soil scarification on naturally regenerated land was 49 percent, which is a decrease of 19 percentage points compared to the beginning of the 2000s. In Northern Norrland, soil scarification increased to 55 percent and in Southern Norrland it decreased to 55 percent. In Götaland and Svealand, the proportion has fallen to 46 and 42 percent, respectively.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year (e.g., 2002 = 2001–2003). The survey was conducted per calendar year from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2021, and per logging season (1 July–30 June) from 2009/2010 to 2019/2020, hence the change in notation. As of 2024, the results are reported in accordance with the new regulations in Section 6 of the Swedish Forestry Act (in force since 1 April 2022). The requirement for the number of main seedlings/main stems for approved regeneration has been revised.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year (e.g., 2002 = 2001–2003). The survey was conducted per calendar year from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2021, and per logging season (1 July–30 June) from 2009/2010 to 2019/2020, hence the change in notation. As of 2024, the results are reported in accordance with the new regulations in Section 6 of the Swedish Forestry Act (in force since 1 April 2022). The requirement for the number of main seedlings/main stems for approved regeneration has been revised.
Main Plants
The latest results show that there are an average of 2,361 main plants per hectare in the country. Last year's result was 2,358 main plants per hectare. The margin of error for this year's measurement is ± 57 seedlings, which means that it is not possible to ensure that this year's number is an increase. In terms of trends, it looks like the number of main plants has decreased since the beginning of the 2020s, but even that is not a statistically significant decrease.
Most of the main plants are pine and spruce. Pine dominates in northern Norrland and southern Norrland. In Svealand, there are about the same number of main plants of spruce and pine, while spruce dominates in Götaland. In recent years, however, the proportion of pine has increased slightly in Svealand and Götaland, but this year's inventory shows a decrease again. Note that these changes are not statistically significant.
Birch, which is mainly self-regenerated is often common in regenerations. However, in the regrowth monitoring, conifers are always prioritized over deciduous trees as main plants, which explains why the number of deciduous trees is relatively low among the main plants.
Birch is the most common deciduous tree species, accounting for about 14 percent of the main plants. Lodgepole pine, larch, valuable broadleaves and other broadleaves than birch is still of small extent, accounting for about 3 percent according to the latest results.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year (e.g., 2002 = 2001–2003). The survey was conducted per calendar year from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2021, and per logging season (1 July–30 June) from 2009/2010 to 2019/2020, hence the change in notation. As of 2024, the results are reported in accordance with the new regulations in Section 6 of the Swedish Forestry Act (in force since 1 April 2022). The requirement for the number of main seedlings/main stems for approved regeneration has been revised.
Natural regeneration
Naturally regenerated seedlings on planted regeneration fellings can also be counted as main plants and this is relatively common.
Recent results show that for 3 percent of the planted area the proportion of naturally regenerated main plants over 75 percent and on 19 percent is the share of naturally regenerated plants 50-75 percent. On 46 percent of the planted area the proportion of naturally regenerated main plants is 25-50 percent. On 33 percent of the planted area the proportion of naturally regenerated main plants is less than 25 percent.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year (e.g., 2002 = 2001–2003). The survey was conducted per calendar year from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2021, and per logging season (1 July–30 June) from 2009/2010 to 2019/2020, hence the change in notation. As of 2024, the results are reported in accordance with the new regulations in Section 6 of the Swedish Forestry Act (in force since 1 April 2022). The requirement for the number of main seedlings/main stems for approved regeneration has been revised.
Naturally regenerated main plants
This year’s inventory shows that per hectare, of the main plants on the planted area, 1,432 were planted and 967 were naturally regenerated main plants. Hence, the proportion of naturally regenerated main plants on the planted area were 40 percent on average.
The results refer to three-year averages, presented using the middle year (e.g., 2002 = 2001–2003). The survey was conducted per calendar year from 2000 to 2008 and again from 2021, and per logging season (1 July–30 June) from 2009/2010 to 2019/2020, hence the change in notation. As of 2024, the results are reported in accordance with the new regulations in Section 6 of the Swedish Forestry Act (in force since 1 April 2022). The requirement for the number of main seedlings/main stems for approved regeneration has been revised.
Proportion of regenerated area by forest type
According to this year’s inventory, pine forest is the most common forest type. The proportion of pine is larger than 65 percent on 40 percent of the regenerated area. The proportion of spruce is larger than 65 percent on 24 percent of the regenerated areas. On 20 percent of the regenerated area both Scots pine and Norway spruce dominates (mixed conifer forest) and on 14 percent neither coniferous nor broadleaved trees dominate. The proportions between forest types can change with the development of the forest.