Siljanfors/Tonnersjöheden, Sweden

Experimental farms in Sweden

Siljansfors experimental farm

Siljansfors Long Term Observatory (LTO) experimental farm was established in 1921 and is the oldest of the experimental farms belonging to the Faculty of Forestry at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The total area of the farm is 1500 hectares of which 1360 hectares are productive forestland and contain approximately 600 research sites. At the LTO the establishment, inventory, sampling, management and administration of long-term forest field sites are managed. The landowner is Bergvik AB.

At the LTO work is focused on research, information and education, and environmental monitoring. The purpose of the experimental farms is to be able to concentrate long-term effort to carefully surveyed and delineated areas with continuous supervision. The experimental farm is used primarily by scientists at the Forestry Faculty of SLU, but is also open to researchers at other universities and research institutions.

Information activities

The LTO is host to several forest excursions each year. Participants are students, forest owners, forest companies, government agencies and associations. Hunters, forest engineers and local natural high schools are frequent visitors at Siljansfors where both scientific field surfaces and landscaped educational demonstration areas are subject to visits. Several informative and orderly forest paths are trodden by students from elementary and even preschool children.

Environmental monitoring

Climate Survey is ongoing at Siljansfors and builds on the long series of measurements. Regular phenological observations are made and besides their native reporting included trials park in Swedish phenology network for a variety of species. We measure water flow and quality from a large defined catchment area thirty years back.

Further information available at: http://www.slu.se/sv/fakulteter/s/om-fakulteten/institutioner/enheten-for-skoglig-faltforskning/forsoksparker/siljansfors-forsokspark/

Tönnersjö Hedens experimental farm

Tönnersjö Hedens experimental farm provides land for different types of field trials and is responsible for construction, maintenance and data collection.

Further information available at: http://www.slu.se/sv/fakulteter/s/om-fakulteten/institutioner/enheten-for-skoglig-faltforskning/forsoksparker/tonnersjohedens-forsokspark/

Online climate observations for both Siljansfors and Tönnersjöheden: http://www.slu.se/sv/fakulteter/s/om-fakulteten/institutioner/enheten-for-skoglig-faltforskning/miljoanalys/aktuellt-klimat/