WHY MONITOR TREES?
A big threat for our common future is global warming. The global warming process is partially due to release of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, from burning fossil fuels into the atmosphere. Plants in general, and our large forests in particular, take in carbon dioxide, convert it to sugar (photosynthesis), and release oxygen. Since plants can store carbon dioxide in their tissues, they can be used to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere
A big threat for our common future is global warming. The global warming process is partially due to release of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, from burning fossil fuels into the atmosphere. Plants in general, and our large forests in particular, take in carbon dioxide, convert it to sugar (photosynthesis), and release oxygen. Since plants can store carbon dioxide in their tissues, they can be used to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
Increment borer wood cores can be studied and chemically examined to determine which species most efficiently can remove greenhouse gases and sequester it.
Haglöf Increment Borers are used to monitor and control growth and quality in growing forests. They are also used to check for pollution in the environment and to keep track of diseases in valuable wood assets. Other user areas are to measure impregnation depth, in examination of old buildings and ship wrecks, to date old trees and to look for decay in wooden constructions.
A lot of material on past times and the greenhouse effects can be found on the internet and in special forums. For details on why and how trees grow and what information the annual rings can give on the environment, refer for example to the Laboratory of Tree Ring Research
The annual Swedish National Forest Inventory is undertaken by around 50 field workers during the snow free period from May to October. The first inventory in Sweden was made in 1923, and data was recorded on handwritten field forms. In the 1970’s, punch cards were introduced, and from 1983 handheld field computers have been used. Today, every crew works with handhelds and wireless synchronization and backup. Data is stored and after quality controls, the data is transferred to the analysis database where all data collected since 1983 is stored.
The yearly inventory is carried out on approx. 12 000 sample plots with measurements collected from ca 95 000 trees, and variables describing stand, site and history of the sample plot. The field crew uses a GPS to navigate to the plot. For permanent sample plots, each tree’s coordinates are registered. Data is collected and stored in the handheld computers and regularly sent to the field office. The collected data is then subjected to comprehensive quality controls and secondary variables are calculated before final storage, analysis and publication. Quality controls are made both in field and office with probability tests, and selected sample tracts are re-measured and double-checked
All sample trees are age determined in the field and wood cores are collected and sent to the field office for analysis. To present statistics about standing volume and annual growth, the Swedish National Forest Inventory calculates both volume and growth for the trees in random sample plots. Volume is calculated using the correlation between diameter and height and volume. Growth is calculated based on the annual ring measurement data and the trees’ biomass is also calculated.
