%0 Research article
%T Modelling the factors predisposing Scots pine to moose damage in artificially regenerated sapling stands in Finnish Lapland
%A Nikula, Ari
%A Hallikainen, Ville
%A Jalkanen, Risto
%A Hyppönen, Mikko
%A Mäkitalo, Kari
%D 2008
%J Silva Fennica
%V 42
%N 4
%R doi:10.14214/sf.235
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/235
%X Moose (Alces alces) damage in forest plantations have been at a high  level in Finland in recent decades. Nowadays, moose is the most severe  pest in Scots pine plantations also in Finnish Lapland. So far, despite  the high level of damage and different bio-geographical conditions in  Northern Finland, most of the moose-damage research has been carried out  in Southern Finland. A number of research have also been performed to  analyse factors affecting browsing but predictive models are rare. Data  from 123 randomly selected and artificially regenerated pine plantations  in Northern Finland were used in modelling the risk of moose browsing.  The stands had been regenerated during 1984–1995. A total of 508 sample  plots (range 2–8 plots per stand) were measured. Hierarchical logistic  regression models with a random factor were constructed to predict the  probability of leader-shoot browsing of pine on a plot. The number of  planted pines and deciduous trees overtopping the pines were the most  important predictors increasing the browsing probability. The results  support earlier findings that deciduous trees overtopping or reaching  the height of the pines should be cleaned from the immediate vicinity of  the pines. Seedlings with a height ranging from 75 to 299 centimetres  were more susceptible to browsing. Heavy soil scarification, such as  ploughing or mounding, increased the browsing probability compared with  lighter scarification methods. Soil type did not affect the browsing  probability, but paludification decreased it. The within-stand variation  in deciduous trees density and height should be taken into account in  future moose browsing risk assessments. In Lapland, high moose damage  risk areas are characterized by a low elevation and higher temperature  sum.