This article is a discusses development of forest research to its present stage. The writer points out that of all different branches of industry, forestry is probably the one most based on practical experience, as it is not until recently implied in discriminate exploitation of available natural resources. In addition, until recently job performances in forestry were essentially based on the muscular strength and acquired skills of the individual worker. Until the eighteenth century the tenor of scientific thought was alien to a domain like forestry. Prior to that time, science meant jurisprudence, theology and philosophy. After Linnaeus science experienced a time of expansion. Since then, the contact between science and forestry has developed along two different lines. First, forest has attracted the interest of biologists. Second, where forestry has been unsuccessful in solving its own problems, the need has arisen for theoretical investigations.
The article is published in Finnish in separate PDF Acta Forestalia Fennica vol 70 no 11.
This article is a discusses development of forest research to its present stage. The writer points out that of all different branches of industry, forestry is probably the one most based on practical experience, as it is not until recently implied in discriminate exploitation of available natural resources. In addition, until recently job performances in forestry were essentially based on the muscular strength and acquired skills of the individual worker. Until the eighteenth century the tenor of scientific thought was alien to a domain like forestry. Prior to that time, science meant jurisprudence, theology and philosophy. After Linnaeus science experienced a time of expansion. Since then, the contact between science and forestry has developed along two different lines. First, forest has attracted the interest of biologists. Second, where forestry has been unsuccessful in solving its own problems, the need has arisen for theoretical investigations.
The article is published in English in separate PDF Acta Forestalia Fennica vol 70 no 12.
The article discusses the state of forest management of private forests and the need to awaken the forest owners for sustainable use of forests. According to the latest national forest inventory in Finland, only 15% of forests had good productivity, 50% had satisfactory and 35% low productivity. This is partly due to the forest owners’ insufficient knowledge on efficient forest management and the actual value of their forest. If the forest owners should have information of the wood resources of their forests in the level production, value and what kind of wood assortments it can in the future produce, there would be a pressure for more efficient forest management. The writer suggests that inventory of private forest holdings larger than, for instance, 25 hectares should be conducted in each municipality. The inventory could be performed in 10% of the forests each year. In this way the forests would be surveyed every 10 years. The information could also be used in taxation of forests. The best method to conduct the survey would be a line survey combined with circular sample plots.
The PDF includes a summary in German.