– The forest needs strong and healthy trees. To get there, we have to switch to another administration, as they already have in many other countries. Henri Knackstedt looks over newly purchased property. 45,000 acres of forest in Åmot in Østerdalen, an area as large as 6,500 football pitches. Last spring, he took his exam at Norway’s University of the Environment and Life Sciences. Now he can call himself a forest candidate, for the people of the forest it is a prestigious professional title. Afterwards, he took his exam papers and new thoughts with him, and went home to Åmot in Østerdalen. His new base is just north of Rena, on a farm that oozes old pride. Here he will put into practice what he has learned, and which he believes many people could benefit from thinking about. – When the climate becomes wilder, the forest must be stronger Since the 1950s, clear-cut logging has been the usual form of logging in Norway. When all the forest in an area is cut down, all the forest in the next generation gets the same age. Such a way of managing the forest affects the landscape both visually and biologically. – What’s more, it will be a vulnerable forest, says Henri. It becomes more exposed to weather and wind, which is not suitable at a time when the weather is becoming more extreme. Therefore, he wants to drop such felling, and rather have forests in different age classes. NEW THOUGHTS: Henri Knackstedt believes it is important to bring light and space into the forest. It makes for stronger trees. Photo: Roar Andre Berntsen / news These are new thoughts. So is having permanent streets in the forest. Because somehow the machines have to have a place to run, when trees are to be taken out once in a while, instead of all at once. The streets, he believes, will be less visible, but will provide more light and better weight options for the trees, and more varied living conditions for game. He also thinks it will be good for people who are out on a walk in the forest. Getting support – I have faith in this, says Bjørn Håvard Evjen, divisional director for forests and outback at NIBIO, the Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomy. He thinks Henri’s project is very exciting. – It is important to have a strong and robust forest when climate change hits. The trees that are planted now must be able to survive for the next 60 to 100 years. Evjen points out that there are many considerations to take into account in future forestry. Everything from biological diversity to production capacity must be taken into account. Not unknown ideas abroad Dropping clearcuts is in many ways a new idea in Norway, but far from unknown in many other countries. Henri Knackstedt is not alone in being skeptical about surface logging. – I think the debate around forests is not nuanced. It seems that it either needs to be protected or flattened. But you don’t have to protect everything, nor do you have to flatten everything. You can do a bit of everything, says the farmer at Sorknes, and points out that 60 per cent of his property is already protected. Henri has also received many impulses from abroad. His parents came to Åmot about 20 years ago. Then they bought another forest property in the municipality. There they now practice traditional forestry and are big on the production of chips for bioheat, with Rena Leir among others on the customer list. IN THE FOREST: Henri Knackstedt likes to be close to what happens in the forest. For three generations before him, everyone has practiced forestry, in Germany and Norway. When he finished his first degree in forestry this spring, he received the German forestry manager’s hat from his grandfather. Photo: Roar Andre Berntsen / news Concepts in forestry Flat felling, or stand felling – the most common form of felling in Norway today, where most of the trees are taken down, but edge zones, key biotopes, seed trees and life-cycle trees are left behind. Closed felling/pick felling – Felling that removes individual trees and leaves a number of trees remaining to varying extents. Here there are trees of all ages in one and the same area, which are cut down as they grow large enough. Ground preparation – a method of plowing up the forest floor to provide germination conditions for forest seeds or good growing conditions for forest plants. Happens by removing the top layer of moss and humus, so that the seed gets down into the mineral soil below. Key biotope – an area that is particularly important for the conservation of biological diversity, because it contains habitat types or plant and animal species, signal species, which are rare in the landscape Life cycle trees – trees that must be left untouched in the forest so that they can complete their entire natural life cycle . Seed trees – replanted trees have the task of supplying the felled area with seeds so that you don’t have to plant. Edge zone – trees that are left as a landscape element and protection against erosion to watercourses. also serve as important game corridors, since several game species follow waterways where they can be hidden by trees and bushes. Bonity – how good the growing conditions are for trees in a forest area. Biological diversity (biodiversity) – a term for the extent of living organisms in an area, usually measured in the number of species. Will not be unemployed The parents’ business has gone well. So good that they could now take the leap and help their son Henri when Sorknes was to be sold. NOK 61 million is a lot of money. A lot of money. Most are loans, with mortgages on the farm and in Brudefallet Gård, the parents’ large farm a short stone’s throw away. Ideally, it was just the forest Henri wanted to buy, but Norwegian licensing regulations gave a clear message in this case: All or nothing. That’s why he now has 1,200 square meters of living space to romp around in, a ballroom and 17 fireplaces in large living rooms. A fierce transition from collective life to student life at Ås. The investment is large, and will initially be financed by timber sales. However, the interest rate increases in the past year worry Henri. – At the ball for the forestry students at Ås, I was awarded “debt slave of the year”, he laughs. The farm’s livelihood will be a good combination of forestry, sale of hunting experiences and perhaps events in the large building mass. Henri will not be unemployed anytime soon. In addition to the forestry operations, he will take care of the inventory and many buildings, several of which are well suited to the concept of a museum. Old greatness in a new era Per Hovind was the man who built up the farm in the 19th century. At that time, the farmer at Sorknes was more like a petty king. Per Hovind went to the world exhibition in Paris in 1867. There he bought furniture and fittings, transported them home and brought the latest international trends with him to Østerdalen. Punched his fist through the mirror Per Hovind was the owner of Sorknes in the 19th century. In 1867 he traveled to the World Exhibition in Paris. There he found lots and lots of things which he bought and had sent home to Rena. Hovind was too small a king to count, and was used to getting attention. He didn’t do that in a mirror shop in Paris, and that annoyed him. Thus he smashed his fist through the mirror so that the glass splashed. Then he got the staff’s attention, and placed an order. – I’ll take 10 of these, said Per Hovind. At home, he had 150 employees at most. That is the number of people the building stock is designed for. At that time, there were employees for everything from cutting timber to firing the stove. Until recently, by the way, two were employed. Now Henri and the dog Pan are alone at Sorknes, both in a new life. In the new year, he will try to get a job outside the farm, a job where he can use his education. The interest rate increases in the past year require smart thinking and a high level of effort. But Henri is an optimist. Hans thinks the forest is fun. And he believes he has given up on the dream itself. Forestry in Norway Forests and other wooded areas in Norway make up approximately 14 million hectares (140,000 km2), or 44 per cent of the land area in Norway. Of the forests in Norway, approximately 8.6 million hectares are productive forest area, that is, forest area that can produce more than one cubic meter of wood per hectare per year. In 2016, there were approximately 130,000 forest properties with at least 25 acres of forest. Private individuals own 98 percent of these properties. The world’s forest ecosystems store large amounts of carbon. Through photosynthesis, the forests absorb carbon corresponding to approximately 25 percent of the total man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Logging is a common form of logging in Norway. It means that all the trees are felled on an area larger than approx. 2 then. Clearcutting has a great effect on both flora and fauna. Plantation forest is planted forest consisting of native (native) or foreign (introduced) species. (Source Nibio and Store norske lexikon) In 2003 Toppen visited Bech Sorknes in the series “Herskapelig”. You can see the program here.
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– Here I have a lifelong project – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
