A Cost Benefit Analysis of Continuous Cover Forestry in Djurholmen, Skåne

Abstract: Forests and forest products are important, not just for timber production, the forest ecosystem plays several important roles, such as water purification, carbon sequestration for climate mitigation and recreational values. How the forests are managed varies throughout the globe, in Sweden the most used system is the clearcutting system (CF), however continuous cover forestry (CCF) is gaining popularity and is being tested in several places. The knowledge of the benefits of this kind of system is limited and the aim of this study was to compare the forest management systems, CCF and CF from a societal perspective with regards to wood production and carbon sequestration. This was done through cost-benefit analysis (CBA), comparing the net present value, (NPV) of CCF and CF. The study site at Djurholmen, Skåne consisted of 95 % Norway Spruce (Picea abies) and had a final cutting done beginning of May, 2023 where they clear-cut one area and used target diameter-thinning in a second area. The CF got 8 % higher NPV than CCF however it is important to recognize that multiple ecosystem services that have been proven higher for CCF in other studies are excluded in this study such as biodiversity and recreational values. The main conclusion was that the most important factor for forestry to contribute with climate mitigation is to maximize the substitution effect by getting as much of the wood produced as possible to end up in long lived wood products rather than paper or pellets for burning.