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Articles by Veli-Pekka Ikonen

Category : Article

article id 5632, category Article

Annikki Mäkelä, Veli-Pekka Ikonen, Petteri Vanninen. (1997). An application of process-based modelling to the development of branchiness in Scots pine. Silva Fennica vol. 31 no. 3 article id 5632. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.a8534

Original keywords: puutavara; mänty; kasvu; hiili; läpimitta; biomassa; oksat; laatu; latvus; simulointi; kasvumallit; mallit; hiilitase; oksaisus

English keywords: Pinus sylvestris; carbon balance; simulation; pipe model; timber quality; growth model; branching; crown structure; whorl

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

A process-oriented tree and stand growth model is extended to be applicable to the analysis of timber quality, and how it is influenced by silvicultural treatments. The tree-level model is based on the carbon balance and it incorporates the dynamics of five biomass variables as well as tree height, crown base, and breast height diameter. Allocation of carbon is based on the conservation of structural relationships, in particular, the pipe model. The pipe-model relationships are extended to the whorl level, but in order to avoid a 3-dimensional model of entire crown structure, the branch module is largely stochastic and aggregated. In model construction, a top-down hierarchy is used where at each step down, the upper level sets constraints for the lower level. Some advantages of this approach are model consistency and efficiency of calculations, but probably at the cost of reduced flexibility. The detailed structure related with the branching module is preliminary and will be improved when more data becomes available. Model parameters are identified for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Southern Finland, and example simulations are carried out to compare the development of quality characteristics in different stocking densities.

Mäkelä, E-mail: am@mm.unknown
Ikonen, E-mail: vi@mm.unknown
Vanninen, E-mail: pv@mm.unknown

Category : Research article

article id 23058, category Research article

Johanna Jetsonen, Annamari Laurén, Heli Peltola, Olli Muhonen, Juha Nevalainen, Veli-Pekka Ikonen, Antti Kilpeläinen, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Elisa Männistö, Nicola Kokkonen, Marjo Palviainen. (2024). Effects of nitrogen fertilization on the ground vegetation cover and soil chemical properties in Scots pine and Norway spruce stands. Silva Fennica vol. 58 no. 1 article id 23058. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.23058

Keywords: boreal forest; competition index; forest fertilization; upland forests; vegetation cover

Highlights: Nitrogen (N) fertilization decreased the total cover of ground vegetation; N fertilization decreased the cover of mosses and dwarf shrubs and increased the cover of herbaceous plants; N concentration of the mor humus layer increased with the N fertilization; The magnitude of these changes depended on the intensity of the N fertilization.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization intensity on the ground vegetation cover and soil chemical properties in two Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and two Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) dominated stands on upland forest sites in Eastern Finland. The fertilizer was applied using a helicopter in the spruce stands and a forwarder in the pine stands. The distribution and the amount of fertilizer was measured with funnel traps. Cover of each species of ground vegetation was estimated before fertilization and 3–4 years after it in pine and 2–3 years after it in spruce stands. Further, the cover observations were aggregated by plant types. Based on measurements, we analyzed the effects of the funnel-trap-observed amount of N fertilizer on the cover and plant type composition of ground vegetation and soil N and C concentration. In addition, we analyzed the impacts of competition caused by trees on the ground vegetation cover based on competition indices. N fertilization increased the cover of herbaceous plants and decreased the cover of mosses and dwarf shrubs, and the total cover of ground vegetation. Further, it increased the N concentration of the mor humus layer. The magnitude of the changes increased with the intensity of the N fertilization. The competition caused by trees did not affect the cover of ground vegetation.

Jetsonen, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland E-mail: johanna.jetsonen@helsinki.fi
Laurén, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6835-9568 E-mail: annamari.lauren@helsinki.fi
Peltola, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: heli.peltola@uef.fi
Muhonen, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4051-8567 E-mail: olli.muhonen@forestvital.com
Nevalainen, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2972-4385 E-mail: juha.hs.nevalainen@gmail.com
Ikonen, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1732-2922 E-mail: veli-pekka.ikonen@uef.fi
Kilpeläinen, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4299-0578 E-mail: antti.kilpelainen@uef.fi
Tuittila, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: eeva-stiina.tuittila@uef.fi
Männistö, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3869-6739 E-mail: elisa.mannisto@uef.fi
Kokkonen, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 111, 80101 Joensuu, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0197-2672 E-mail: nicola.kokkonen@uef.fi
Palviainen, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland E-mail: marjo.palviainen@helsinki.fi

article id 441, category Research article

Ane Zubizarreta-Gerendiain, Petri Pellikka, Jordi Garcia-Gonzalo, Veli-Pekka Ikonen, Heli Peltola. (2012). Factors affecting wind and snow damage of individual trees in a small management unit in Finland: assessment based on inventoried damage and mechanistic modelling. Silva Fennica vol. 46 no. 2 article id 441. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.441

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; Picea abies; Betula spp.; critical wind speed; snow loading; damage risk

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

In this work, we assessed the factors affecting wind and snow damage of individual trees in a small management unit in western Finland. This was done based on inventoried damage and observed wind speeds and snow loading in storms Pyry and Janika in 2001 and Mielikki in 2002 together with mechanistic model. First, we studied which factors explain the observed damage in individual trees. Secondly, we studied how well the mechanistic model (HWIND) could predict the wind speed needed to uproot individual trees at the margins of permanent upwind edges. We found that Pyry storm caused 70% and Janika and Mielikki 18 and 12% of observed damage. In Janika storm, all trees uprooted. In other storms, both uprooting and stem breakage occurred. Scots pine suffered the most damage. Recently thinned stands on the upwind edges of open areas suffered the most damage. But, damage occurred also on soils with relatively shallow anchorage. HWIND predicted correctly damage for 69% of all uprooted trees. No-uprooting was correctly predicted for 45 and 19% of standing trees (all Scots pines), which were measured within and at the immediate upwind edge of same stands. HWIND model needs further validation at the permanent edges and/or on soils with shallow rooting to improve its prediction accuracy in such conditions.

Zubizarreta-Gerendiain, Technical University of Lisbon, School of Agriculture, Forest Research Centre, Lisbon, Portugal E-mail: azg@nn.po
Pellikka, University of Helsinki, Dept. of Geosciences and Geography, Helsinki, Finland E-mail: pp@nn.fi
Garcia-Gonzalo, Technical University of Lisbon, School of Agriculture, Forest Research Centre, Lisbon, Portugal E-mail: jgg@nn.po
Ikonen, University of Eastern Finland, School of Forest Sciences, Joensuu, Finland E-mail: vpi@nn.fi
Peltola, University of Eastern Finland, School of Forest Sciences, Joensuu, Finland E-mail: heli.peltola@uef.fi

article id 202, category Research article

Tuula Nuutinen, Antti Kilpeläinen, Hannu Hirvelä, Kari Härkönen, Veli-Pekka Ikonen, Reetta Lempinen, Heli Peltola, Lars Wilhelmsson, Seppo Kellomäki. (2009). Future wood and fibre sources – case North Karelia in eastern Finland. Silva Fennica vol. 43 no. 3 article id 202. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.202

Keywords: National Forest Inventory; fibre length; wood density; proportion of latewood; forest scenario analysis

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Information on the potential wood supply is important for the wood industry. In this study, the future development of growing stock, cutting potential and wood properties corresponding to the regional scenario of North Karelian Forest Programme 2006–2010 was analysed. The simulations were performed by employing the Finnish MELA system together with the sample plot and tree data of the 9th Finnish National Forest Inventory (NFI9) as initial data for the simulations. Disc-based models for basic wood density, proportion of latewood and fibre length of Norway spruce and Scots pine in Sweden were calibrated and integrated into the MELA system. The wood properties at breast height of both harvested and standing trees were analysed in different strata (age, site type and cutting method) during the scenario period of 50 years (2002–2052). The average wood properties within the same strata varied only slightly over time. However, the results for different strata differed considerably. In general, wood density, fibre length and proportion of latewood increased, on average, as a function of tree age and along with a decrease in site fertility (excl. wood density and proportion of latewood in harvested Norway spruce in the first case and fibre length in the latter case for both species). For trees less than 80 years, properties in harvested trees were equal to or slightly greater than those of standing trees. The values for clear-cuttings were greater or equal to those of thinnings (excl. wood density and proportion of latewood in Norway spruce). The study demonstrates the value of model-based analyses utilising NFI tree measurements in regions that are considered to be sources of raw material.

Nuutinen, European Forest Institute, Torikatu 34, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: tuula.nuutinen@efi.int
Kilpeläinen, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: ak@nn.fi
Hirvelä, Finnish Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: hh@nn.fi
Härkönen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: kh@nn.fi
Ikonen, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: vpi@nn.fi
Lempinen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 68, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: rl@nn.fi
Peltola, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: hp@nn.fi
Wilhelmsson, Skogforsk, Uppsala Science Park, SE-751 83 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: lw@nn.fi
Kellomäki, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: sk@nn.fi

article id 197, category Research article

Veli-Pekka Ikonen, Seppo Kellomäki, Heli Peltola. (2009). Sawn timber properties of Scots pine as affected by initial stand density, thinning and pruning: a simulation based approach. Silva Fennica vol. 43 no. 3 article id 197. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.197

Keywords: three-dimensional modeling; sawing simulator; knots; Pinus sylvestris L.; shading

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The aim of this work was to analyze how different management schedules with varying initial stand density, thinning and artificial pruning of branches affect the quality, quantity and value of sawing yield in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). For this purpose, an integrated model system was employed and further developed to simulate: i) the three dimensional structure of the crown and stem of an average tree grown in a stand related to the changes in the within-stand light conditions as caused by the stand management, and ii) the sawing of logs into pieces and their quality grading based on the size and number of living and dead knots on the surfaces of sawn pieces. To maximize the quality of sawn timber, relatively dense stand is desired in the early phase of the rotation to reduce, especially in the lower part of stem, the growth of branches, and to increase the rate of dying and pruning-off of branches. In the later phase, a relatively sparse stand is desired to increase the self-pruning of branches and the occlusion of knots. However, in any case, artificial pruning is needed to maximize the knot-free zone of the stem. Also the value optimization of individual sawn pieces affects the quality and value of sawn timber. Because, only average tree was simulated, the differences between scenarios for stem volume were small. In the future, further model development is needed to analyze the development of crown and stem properties of trees with different status in a stand.

Ikonen, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: veli-pekka.ikonen@joensuu.fi
Kellomäki, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: sk@nn.fi
Peltola, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: hp@nn.fi

article id 192, category Research article

Heli Peltola, Jaume Gort, Pertti Pulkkinen, Ane Zubizarreta Gerendiain, Jouni Karppinen, Veli-Pekka Ikonen. (2009). Differences in growth and wood density traits in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) genetic entries grown at different spacing and sites. Silva Fennica vol. 43 no. 3 article id 192. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.192

Keywords: genetic entry; stem volume; height; diameter; wood property traits; phenotypic correlation

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

In forest breeding, stem volume has typically taken as the most important selection trait, whereas less attention has been given to wood density traits. In this work, we investigated the effects of spacing and genetic entry on the growth, yield and wood density traits in 20 year old Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) based on 10 genetic entries harvested from a spacing trial (stand density range 2000–4000 trees/ha) in central Finland. In order to study also the site effects, we harvested additional material from a trial located in southern Finland (stand density of 2000 trees/ha). Compared to growth and yield properties, wood density traits showed a lower phenotypic variation. Phenotypic correlations among different traits were negative, and mostly moderate to high, suggesting that selection for one trait would simultaneously affect the others. In addition, moderate to strong phenotypic correlations were found among different wood density traits. Stem volume (V) and breast height diameter (DBH) were the largest in widest spacing, whereas in the densest one tree height (H) and latewood percentage were the highest. Genetic entry affected H and wood density traits regardless of spacing. When comparing two sites (with same stand density), genetic entry affected H, whereas site affected DBH and wood density traits. Ranking between genetic entries changed depending on the trait, spacing or site considered. Therefore, no overall ranking was possible. However, we could identify genetic entries having a high V and a relatively high wood density, showing potential for future forest regeneration material.

Peltola, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: heli.peltola@joensuu.fi
Gort, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: jg@nn.fi
Pulkkinen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Haapastensyrjä Breeding Station, Karkkilantie 247, FI-12600 Läyliäinen, Finland E-mail: pp@nn.fi
Zubizarreta Gerendiain, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: azg@nn.fi
Karppinen, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: jk@nn.fi
Ikonen, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: vpi@nn.fi

article id 247, category Research article

Ane Zubizarreta Gerendiain, Heli Peltola, Pertti Pulkkinen, Veli-Pekka Ikonen, Raimo Jaatinen. (2008). Differences in growth and wood properties between narrow and normal crowned types of Norway spruce grown at narrow spacing in Southern Finland. Silva Fennica vol. 42 no. 3 article id 247. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.247

Keywords: fibre length; stem volume; height; diameter; wood density; earlywood; latewood

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

In recent years there has been increased interest in the so called narrow crowned Norway spruce (Picea abies f. pendula), which is a rare mutant of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten), as a suitable wood raw material source for pulp and paper production. This is because it is less sensitive to competition than the normal crowned Norway spruce, and thus, could be more productive especially at dense spacing. In the above context, we investigated how the growth and yield (such as height, diameter, stem volume and ring width) in addition to wood density traits and fibre properties (such as wood density, fibre length and width, cell wall thickness and fibre coarseness) were affected in trees from 9 full-sib families representing narrow crowned Norway spruce grown at narrow spacing of 1 m 1 m in Southern Finland. For comparison, we used normal crowned Norway spruce trees from 6 breeding regions. We found that, compared to growth and yield traits, wood density traits and fibre properties showed, on average, lower phenotypic variations. In addition, these variations were smaller for narrow crowned families than for normal crowned genetic entries. Narrow crowned families also showed, on average, higher growth and yield and fibre length, but lower wood density. Moreover, the phenotypic correlations between growth, yield, wood density traits and fibre properties, ranged, on average, from moderate (narrow crowned) to high (normal crowned). As a whole, the growth and wood properties of narrow crowned families were found to be less sensitive to tree competition than the normal crowned genetic entries used as a comparison.

Zubizarreta Gerendiain, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Joensuu, Finland E-mail: ane.zubizarreta@joensuu.fi
Peltola, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Joensuu, Finland E-mail: hp@nn.fi
Pulkkinen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Haapastensyrjä Breeding Station, Läyliäinen, Finland E-mail: pp@nn.fi
Ikonen, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Joensuu, Finland E-mail: vpi@nn.fi
Jaatinen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Haapastensyrjä Breeding Station, Läyliäinen, Finland E-mail: rj@nn.fi

article id 285, category Research article

Heli Peltola, Antti Kilpeläinen, Kari Sauvala, Tommi Räisänen, Veli-Pekka Ikonen. (2007). Effects of early thinning regime and tree status on the radial growth and wood density of Scots pine. Silva Fennica vol. 41 no. 3 article id 285. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.285

Keywords: thinning response; ring width; early wood; late wood; intra-ring wood density; X-ray densitometry

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

Peltola, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: heli.peltola@joensuu.fi
Kilpeläinen, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: ak@nn.fi
Sauvala, Finnish Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: ks@nn.fi
Räisänen, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: tr@nn.fi
Ikonen, University of Joensuu, Faculty of Forest Sciences, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: vpi@nn.fi

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