UNHIDE Agroforestry - A Knowledge Exchange Latvia- Sweden 2023-25 - Report - Page 31
Ramson.
horticultural entrepreneurship, other tree species
were introduced, and today several large walnut
and sweet chestnut trees grow in gardens and
public spaces in the area. In the future, Kivik and
southern Sweden may become associated with
these nut trees as well, as they have begun to
regenerate naturally.
•
Since the 1960s, landowners have received
subsidies to establish spruce and pine monocultures on former arable land and pastures,
profoundly altering landscapes and reducing
biodiversity across large parts of southern Sweden. In response, Linnaeus University is currently exploring future forest compositions through
The Oak Project, examining whether and how
different oak species may contribute to increased biodiversity and improved resilience
to climate change. A study from the same
university reports that plant and insect diversity
in Swedish oak forests increases towards the
north.
•
SLU project initiated in 2015 has investigated
whether two hybrid walnut types (Juglans ×
intermedia), NG23 and NG38, can be grown
on a larger scale in production forests, provid-
ing timber while also producing nuts during
growth. To date, survival rates are high and
growth performance is strong.
•
Thorny shrubs can act as nurse plants for fruit,
nut and deciduous trees; blackthorn, for
example, gradually declines in the shade of
establishing oaks or wild apples. Notably, Celtic tradition regarded the “oak, ash and thorn”
as a sacred trio. While thorn and ash offered
favourable nursery conditions—buffered temperatures, water and nutrient availability—the
jay, known for caching acorns in sunlit sites
protected by thorny vegetation, assisted in the
establishment.
Walnut trees spread by birds, Simrishamn.
