Into the Wild: A Journey Through Swedish Primary Forests
In this blog, we recount our two months’ fieldwork experience in the wilderness and invite you to step into the world of Swedish primary forests.
Our purpose
As we travelled into the heart of Swedish primary forests, our mission was clear: to unravel the mysteries of carbon storage and its dynamic relationship with time. Our research focused on understanding the carbon stocks of these ecosystems and how they have evolved over the past three decades.
Our journey led us to revisit old temporary National Forest Inventory (NFI) plots, established over 30 years ago. We had the unique opportunity to witness firsthand how carbon stocks have changed over time.
We visited 18 forests spanning all the way from the artic circle to southern Sweden. The hunt for the NFI plots was a journey in itself, filled with moments of uncertainty and anticipation. Finding the first plot was a moment of instant relief and triumph. But the true excitement came when we stumbled upon trees marked with fading paint, a sign of past researchers’ work. Suddenly, the forest came alive with purpose, and each marked tree became a reward, fueling our excitement and determination for a scavenger hunt.
Beautiful Discoveries
One unforgettable moment occurred when we ventured into a new primary forest area that had recently been added to our map. Uncertain of what we would find, we trekked with a mixture of anticipation and curiosity. As we walked deeper into the forest, our uncertainty gave way to awe and wonder as we were greeted by towering, giant pines. The sight of these majestic trees, their ancient branches reaching towards the sky, filled us with a sense of humility. In those moments, surrounded by the quiet of the forest, tree-hugging became our favourite activity.
Amidst our fieldwork, we also stumbled upon what could only be described as cemeteries of dead trees, where fallen logs and decaying stumps stretched as far as the eye could see. Navigating through these eerie landscapes turned what should have been a 15-minute trek to our plots into an hour-long journey of careful manoeuvring. Doing fieldwork in these areas was not for the faint hearted. It was an intense workout that felt more like parkour than scientific research. Scaling fallen logs, leaping over moss-covered boulders and ducking under low-hanging branches became the norm, turning each day into an adrenaline-fueled adventure.
Another unexpected delight awaited us at every turn during our fieldwork: mushrooms. Never before had we seen so many: from the golden hues of chanterelles and the robust earthiness of porcini, to the elusive beauty of black chanterelles. Chancing upon a patch of these delights was always a welcome reward for our efforts, providing a much-needed morale boost. One particular forest stands out in our memories, a true mushroom paradise. It was a surreal experience, wandering through a landscape so densely populated with mushrooms. So intense was their presence that even after the day's work was done, the image of mushrooms danced behind our closed eyelids.
Back to Reality
While fieldwork in primary forests may sound like a dream, the reality is that it can often be a series of unexpected adventures and misadventures. Working conditions can be extremely tough, like scaling rocky mountainsides in rain boots, trekking through marshlands that make your feet feel like they weigh several kilos or even getting frostbite on several fingers because of extremely cold temperatures.
And let's not forget the classic blunders that inevitably occur during fieldwork, like leaving crucial equipment in the car and having to turn back. Then there are the encounters with unexpected companions, like a hunting dog sending shivers down your spine as it crosses your path during hunting season, or misplacing your foot on bear scat. Suddenly, the tranquillity of the forest takes on a new dimension of caution, making us question every rustle.
Despite the occasional mishaps and moments of discomfort, these fieldwork experiences are all part of the adventure. They serve as reminders that sometimes the best-laid plans can go awry in the most unexpected ways. It’s a true blood, sweat and tears experience, but we look forward to it every year.
See you next year!
We have yet to analyse the data collected during this field trip, but we are already very excited to share our results when we have them. Summer is around the corner, which means we’ll be back in the field soon and hopefully come back with even more stories to tell.