The case in summary: Statskog and the State Administrator are taking action to protect Skarvberget and Tallåsen nature reserve in Rendalen from the foreign species of Scots pine. Scots pine was originally planted on a large scale in Norway by the state itself between the 1960s and 1980s. Alien species such as Scots pine are one of the five major threats to biodiversity, both in Norway and worldwide. In 2024, around NOK 15 million has been allocated for the removal of foreign timber sales in Norway. At the same time, the authorities give permission for the planting of foreign tree species such as sitka spruce and lutz spruce in other places, which helps to maintain the negative impact of these species on Norwegian nature. It is a national objective that there should be no foreign tree species in the nature reserves in Norway. ————————————-The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. You may have heard of the sitka spruce or the flower lupine? Scots pine is in the same category: It doesn’t really belong in Norwegian nature. Some of the unwanted, foreign species in this country may have been deliberately planted. Others have spread like stowaways from gardens or other places. Deep in the Skarvberget and Tallåsen nature reserve in Rendalen in the interior, action is now being taken to remove one of them. The North American pine type Scots pine poses a threat to the original nature there. Have you heard of the trees that were supposed to provide shelter from the wind, but ended up being a big problem? Be wiser in this matter: Outcompete Norwegian species The reserve in Rendalen consists of important Norwegian nature. As an element of old berry heather pine forest. The reserve is also a habitat for a number of other Norwegian natural forest species. Here, the pine is ready to be picked up by the timber truck. Everything is removed from the area, so that no seeds are left behind. Photo: Andreas S. Mathismoen This is the reason why landowner Statskog and the State Administrator are now taking action to protect the forest from the fast-growing Scots pine. The problem with some of the foreign species is that they outcompete the Norwegian ones. They simply take over, so that there is no room for the species that actually grow there. The Norwegian pine and the Scots pine are quite similar, but they smell different if you get close enough. These are pine needles from a Norwegian pine tree. Pine needles from spiny pine. A Scots pine can reach an age of around 500 years. It grows about 30% faster than a traditional Norwegian pine tree. An entire forest of knotweed has grown up in the nature reserve. The knotweed, or Contorta as it is called in Latin, shares a history with the better-known lupins. Lupine was planted out by the Norwegian Roads Administration in the 80s, along ditches and roadsides. The reason was a belief that the lupine could prevent erosion. Lupins along the E18 in Vestfold, snapped a few years ago. Many people think the lupine is beautiful, but it takes over from Norwegian wildflowers. Photo: Yngve Tørrestad / news Vrifurua has a similar history: It was planted in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Originally due to problems with moose grazing. – This destroyed the production of quality Norwegian pine. The Norwegian pine also has problems with snow removal. It is a fungus that lives under the snow. Norway spruce is not attacked by this fungus to any particular extent, says representative for landowner Statskog, forestry consultant Rune Aamold. Forestry consultant Rune Aamold Photo: Andreas S. Mathismoen In the Artsdata Bank’s fact sheet on Scots pine, it is stated that the tree was planted from Agder in the south to Finnmark in the north. But the main emphasis is on Eastern Norway, around two-thirds of the species are planted here. Facts about Scots pine: Scots pine is the most important alien tree species in the Nordics, with a planted area of around 6 million acres. In Norway, between 60 and 80,000 acres have been planted, mainly inland and in forest areas close to the mountains. Scots pine has so far shown little spread in Norway. Scots pine comprises several varieties or forms, including the inland form (Pinus contorta ssp. latifolia) and the coastal form (Pinus contorta ssp. contorta). Scots pine is naturally widespread in western parts of North America, from California in the south to the Yukon in the north. Scots pine sets seeds from 15–20 years of age, and Norwegian and Swedish trials have shown approx. 30% greater production compared to regular pine. ————————————-The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Aamold says that the tree was also planted in view of the need for timber and cellulose, which was large in Norway at the time. A Norwegian pine can be left alone, but a spiny pine is transported away by the timber truck. Here, the experts from Altiskog, the State Administrator and Statskog are studying a dead tree inside the nature reserve. A freshly felled Scots pine. Scots pine grows naturally in western parts of North America. The name twist pine comes from the fact that the needles that sit two and two together are twisted. A forest of twist pine on the border of the nature reserve A large load of the unwanted twist pine is to be driven away Now the alien species has been removed. Now Norwegian species will be allowed to grow up. Major threat to natural diversity Nationally, around NOK 15 million has been allocated in 2024 for the removal of alien tree species in Norway. Biologist and senior advisor Sverre Lundemo at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), says that alien species are one of the major threats to natural diversity. Sverre Lundemo Photo: Geir Barstein / WWF He says that removing Scots pine is an important contribution to the nature reserves being able to fulfill their role of taking care of great natural values. – Otherwise, we risk that they can no longer be habitats for the species that were the reason why the nature reserves were originally created, he says. There are a large number of alien species in Norwegian nature. Here is a list prepared by the Species Data Bank. Alien species in 168 protected areas Several years ago, WWF together with several other environmental organizations made an overview of Norwegian protected areas. The presence of foreign tree species is recorded there. The timber truck picks up the Scots pine that the harvester has just cut. Photo: Andreas S. Mathismoen It turned out that this was the case for at least 168 protected areas throughout Norway. – As a minimum, alien species should be removed in all protected areas. They are the tenderloin of Norwegian nature. In addition, the sale and planting of the most harmful species should ideally be banned, he believes. Facts about the nature reserve: Skarvberget and Tallåsen nature reserve in Rendalen municipality has been created to preserve a varied coniferous forest area with an untouched character, which is of great importance for biological diversity. The area is a habitat for many natural forest species and limestone-related species. The nature reserve covers a total area of approx. 2789 acres. The conservation regulations prohibit any action that may impair the conservation values of the area, including damage to vegetation and wildlife, as well as measures that may change the natural environment. It is also prohibited to use the nature reserve for sporting events or other major events. The conservation regulations with maps are kept in Rendalen municipality, with the County Governor in Hedmark, in the Norwegian Environment Agency and in the Ministry of Climate and the Environment. ————————————-The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Source: Regulations on the protection of Skarvberget and Tallåsen nature reserve, Rendalen municipality, Hedmark – Legislative data National objectives for protected areas Representative of the State Administrator in the Interior, senior advisor Marie-Louise Olsen, says that a few years ago a national strategy against alien species was introduced. This says that there should be no foreign tree species in the nature reserves. Scots pine removal is part of this strategy. – In 2024, there will be four nature reserves in the hinterland from which we will cut down Scots pine, she says. She goes on to say that alien species are a major task for all state administrators in Norway. Leader of the project Ole Morten Ertzeid Opsahl from Altiskog and State Administrator of the Interior Marie-Louise Olsen, senior advisor, study a Scots pine. Directly behind you can see a Norwegian pine. If you smell them, you will find that the smell is quite different. Photo: Andreas S. Mathismoen – It is a big and important mission to take care of our biological diversity, she says. Would you like to read more about natural diversity and what Norway is doing to preserve nature? In 2022, Norway together with 193 countries signed a historic nature agreement: UN Nature Agreement: The UN Nature Agreement is an international agreement that aims to protect and preserve nature. The agreement aims to stop the loss of biological diversity, reduce pollution and promote sustainable use of natural resources. It emphasizes the importance of including all sectors and actors in the work to preserve nature. The agreement is also intended to contribute to achieving the UN’s sustainability goals. ————————————-The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Source: UN association Published 13.07.2024, at 18.36
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Scots pine is an alien species in Norway. Now it is to be removed from four nature reserves in Innlandet – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
