New Concepts and Tools for Managing Sustainable Forest Production
(This site is still being updated)

Considerable advances are being made in our understanding of the ecophysiological processes affecting forest productivity and how these processes are influenced by genetics, resource availability (light, water, and nutrients), and their interactions. With appropriate silvicultural treatments including manipulations of both the plant and the soil, we can dramatically increase productivity, production efficiency, and provide the basis for sustainable forest management into the 21st century.

The course will focus on conifer and broadleaved plantations in cold temperate, temperate, and tropical regions because these are the species and regions where intensive plantation silviculture is most commonly practiced. The concepts presented will, however, be applicable to any forest ecosystem where site resources and plant material are actively managed.

Date and Local
16 – 27 November, 2009
Porto Seguro, Bahia, Brazil

Hotel
http://www.nauticopraia.com.br

Objectives
To train the students in the use of a number of modern techniques to analyse and predict changes in pools and fluxes of carbon, nutrients, and water in forest ecosystems, based on measurements, from above and below of canopy structure and function. The consequences of environmental impacts of altered management systems in forestry and climate change will also be illustrated and discussed.

Preliminary programme
The course will consist of lectures, field measurements and demonstrations, modelling exercises, excursions, discussions, and student presentations. Relevant reading material, which the students are expected to read before arrival, will be sent in advance. A detailed programme will be published before the end of July. The course will give 8 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) or 3 US Credits.

Organisers
Sune Linder (SL) and Jose Stape (JS)

Teachers
Dan Binkley (DB), Edson Mori (EM), Joe Landsberg (JL), Jose Stape (JS), Lee Allen (LA), Mike Ryan (MR), Rafael Rubilar (RR), Ram Oren (RO), Ross McMurtrie (RM), Sune Linder (SL), Tim Albaugh (TA), Tomas Lundmark (TL), Torgny Näsholm (TN), and Urban Nilsson (UN)

Trip Tips
Most international flights to Brazil arrive at Guarulhos airport in Sao Paulo, and many of the domestic flights out of Sao Paulo depart from the Congonhas airport (CGH) on the other side of town. Bus service is relatively straightforward between the two airports, but heavy Sao Paulo traffic means it takes between 1 and 3 hours for the trip. Some flights are available from Guarulhos to Porto Seguro (BPS), and that might be easier than changing airports.

Preliminary Programme
Hour	Activity
Sunday 15th
Day of arrival; will be planned in detail once the itineraries of the participants are known.
Monday 16th
07:00 – 08:00	Breakfast
08:00 – 09:00	Introduction to the course, establish groups for fieldwork and assignments (JS, SL)
09:00 – 10:00	Plantation forestry practices in North America (LA)
10:00 – 10:30	Coffee
10:30 – 11:30	Plantation forestry practices in Northern Europe (TL)
11:30 – 12:30	Plantation forestry practices in South America (JS)
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 14:30	Empirical growth and yield models (UN)
14:30 – 15:30	Mechanistic growth and yield models (JL)
1530 – 16:00	Coffee
16:00 – 17:00	Efficiency of resource use in forests (DB)
18:00	Dinner
Tuesday 17th
07:00 – 08:00	Breakfast
08:00 – 09:00	Compartmental fluxes of carbon in trees and stands (MR)
09:00 – 10:00	Water relations in trees and stands (RO)
10:00 – 10:30	Coffee
10:30 – 11:30	Carbon – nutrient interactions in trees and forest stands (TN)
11:30 – 12:30	Biomass sampling for allometry (TA)
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 14:30	Model presentations: G’Day, Mate, Matey (RM)
14:30 – 15:30	Model presentation: 3-PG (JL)
1530 – 16:00	Coffee
16:00 – 17:00	Getting familiar with the models and their data requirements (JL, RM)
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner
19:00 – 20:00	Student presentations I: Each student is expected to give a 10 minute “formal” oral presentation of his/her research project(s). After each presentation the teachers will give constructive comments and advice (5 students per session).
Wednesday 18th
07:00 – 08:00	Breakfast
08:00 – 09:00	Light use efficiency – history and current use (JL)
09:00 – 10:00	Using leaf area index as the integral of site structure, physiological function, and resource supply (LA)
10:00 – 10:30	Coffee
10:30 – 11:30	Testing the 3-PG process-based model to simulate Eucalyptus growth (JS)
11:30 – 12:30	Breeding for increased production (EM)
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 18:00	Modelling exercises (JL, RM)
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner
19:00 – 20:00	Student presentations II
Thursday 19th
07:00 – 08:00	Breakfast
08:00 – 09:00	Bus transport to Veracel Pulp Mill where all field work will take place in experimental plantations close to the mill. The students are divided into five groups, and so are the teachers, to work on the following subjects during five half-day sessions: A Stand structure, direct measurements (TA, UN, ??) B Canopy structure, indirect measurements of LAI. (LA, RR, SL) C Photosynthesis, respiration (MR, TL, ??) D Water relations (Sap flux, soil water) (RO, ??, ??) E Stomatal conductance, water potential (JS, ??, ??)
09:00 – 12:30	Field session I: Group 1 (A), Group 2 (B), Group 3 (C), Group 4 (D), Group 5 (E)
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 17:00	Field session II: Group 1 (B), Group 2 (C), Group 3 (D), Group 4 (E), Group 5 (A)
17:00 – 18:00	Bus leaves for Porto Seguro
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner
19:00 – 20:00	Student presentations III
Friday 20th
07:00 – 08:00	Breakfast
08:00 – 09:00	Bus transport to Veracel Pulp Mill
09:00 – 12:30	Field session III: Group 1 (C), Group 2 (D), Group 3 (E), Group 4 (A), Group 5 (B)
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 17:00	Field session IV: Group 1 (D), Group 2 (E), Group 3 (A), Group 4 (B), Group 5 (C)
17:00 – 18:00	Bus leaves for Porto Seguro
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner
19:00 – 20:00	Student presentations IV
Saturday 21st
08:00 – 09:00	Breakfast
09:00 – 18:00	Visit to a marine national park
18:00	Dinner
Sunday 22nd
08:00 – 09:00	Breakfast
09:00 – 18:00	Visit to Atlantic rain forest reserve
18:00	Dinner
Monday 23rd
07:00 – 08:00	Breakfast
08:00 – 09:00	Bus transport to Veracel Pulp Mill
09:00 – 12:30	Field session V: Group 1 (E), Group 2 (A), Group 3 (B), Group 4 (C), Group 5 (D)
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 17:00	Excursion to eucalypt plantations adjacent to the pulp mill (Guide from Veracel)
17:00 – 18:00	Bus leaves for Porto Seguro
18:00 – 19:00	Dinner
19:00 – 20:00	Student presentations V
Tuesday 24th
07:00 – 08:00	Breakfast
08:00 – 09:00	Nutritional constraints to forest growth (LG)
09:00 – 10:00	Causes of forest growth decline with stand age (MR)
10:00 – 10:30	Coffee
10:30 – 12:30	Processing collected data and parameterisation of the model(s)
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 18:00	Processing collected data and parameterisation of the model(s), ctd
18:00	Dinner
Wednesday 25th
07:00 – 08:00	Breakfast
08:00 – 09:00	Likely impacts of climate change in boreal forests (SL)
09:00 – 10:00	Combating climate change by using more wood (TL)
10:00 – 10:30	Coffee
10:30 – 12:30	Modelling exercises
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 18:00	Modelling exercises, ctd
18:00	Dinner
Thursday 26th
07:00 – 08:00	Breakfast
08:00 – 09:00	Precision Forestry in the 21st Century (RR)
09:00 – 10:00	Sustainable management of Eucalyptus plantations in a changing world (DB)
10:00 – 10:30	Coffee
10:30 – 12:30	Modelling exercises, ctd
12:30 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 18:00	Prepare presentations of group assignments, ctd
18:00	Dinner
Friday 27th
07:00 – 08:00	Breakfast
08:00 – 12:00	Presentation and discussion of group assignments
12:00 – 13:00	Lunch
13:00 – 14:00	Course evaluation
14:00 – 19:00	Afternoon free to relax after two weeks of hard work
19:00	Farewell party
Saturday 28th
Day of departure; will be planned in detail once the itineraries of the participants are known.