Table 1. Mean characteristics of the experiments at establishment in the three height classes: Sapling stand stage (SS: H0 < 8m), Energy wood thinning stage (EW: 8m < H0 < 11m) and Pulpwood thinning stage (PW: 12m < H0 > 13m).
Location	Temp. sum dd	North 1) coordinate	East 1) coordinate	H50 2)	Age yr	Hdom 3) m	H0 4) m	D0 5) cm	Stems ha–1	Volume m3 ha–1	Biomass 6) Mg ha–1	Replicates	Total N of plots	Study period yr
SS1 Oulu	1020	7219600	2568227	17.2	10	3.8	3.0	1.6	32 000	11	10	2–3	8	20
SS2 Ylitornio	926	7363130	3385070	14.3	20	5.9	5.0	5.1	23 000	57	33	2	6	27
SS3 Kolari	828	7451260	2487507	13.7	22	6.9	5.3	4.2	38 000	66	40	3	12	24
SS4 Kolari	815	7448763	2487628	14.2	23	7.1	5.5	4.6	38 000	78	49	3	12	22
SS5 Kolari	812	7454960	3585100	14.3	20	7.4	5.7	4.7	34 000	80	48	4	19	25
SS6 Rovaniemi	820	7385218	3490542	14.1	22	6.7	5.9	5.9	6700 a)	45	25	3	15	26
SS7 Ylitornio	925	7362000	3418000	13.2	27	8.3	6.4	5.6	18 000	90	52	4	20	20
SS8 Rovaniemi	826	7363130	3385190	15.4	23	8.3	6.7	7.3	11 000	75	43	2	9	17
SS9 Kolari	747	7356610	3488110	13.4	29	9.3	7.6	7.8	17 000	112	63	2–3	9	25
EW10 Kolari	747	7486460	3727500	13.9	30	10.1	8.1	7.7	11 000	127	71	1–2	6	27
EW11 Oulu	1020	7486610	3727600	16.8	25	10.6	8.8	6.8	5700	73	40	2	10	30
EW12 Liminka	1042	7219400	2568227	14.7	31	10.3	8.9	8.6	5400	65	36	3	16	29
EW13 Kruunupyy	1100	7195530	3424360	17.7	20	9.3	9.0	9.0	2500 a)	54	31	2	8	31
EW14 Pyhäjärvi	1014	7061489	2458517	16.6	34	11.2	9.3	10.1	3400	85	48	2–3	9	31
EW15 Muurola	930	7072090	3434156	13.1	41	11.8	9.8	8.3	6000	113	62	1	5	20
EW16 Kälviä	1042	7079670	3346820	19.5	19	12.5	10.8	10.7	4700	123	67	4–7	28	21
PW17 Haapavesi	998	7110011	2558017	15.7	44	14.0	12.1	12.5	1900 c)	107	59	5–10	30	30
PW18 Kärsämäki	1048	7104726	3447272	15.1	63 b)	14.3	12.2	12.7	2500 c)	91	49	2–4	10	31
PW19 Utajärvi	1032	7188580	3463880	15.0	52	15.4	12.7	12.7	5000	208	110	2	10	15
1) Fin Grid 27E 2) Site index (dominant height at the age of 50 years) 3) Dominant height = mean height of 100 largest birch ha–1 (doesn’t include other tree species) 4) Mean height, weighted by basal area 5) Mean DBH, weighted by basal area 6) Above-ground woody biomass (AWB), Mg DM ha–1 a) Stem number was low compared to other stands in the group b) Born before the ditching and grown slowly during first 10–15 years c) Tending at sapling stand stage