On 10-11 January 2015, Storm Egon swept over southern Sweden and damaged 2.5-3 million cubic metres of forest. Half of the damaged volume is estimated to have affected Södra's members.
Efforts to clear the storm-damaged wood were hampered by damp weather during the winter months.
"We were forced to suspend the harvesting operations for long periods to reduce the risk of soil damage while clearing," says Håkan Larsson, President of Södra Skog.
All of Götaland was affected by the damage, but there was major variation between estates. The worst damage was recorded in the Västra Götaland and Jönköping counties, around the Vänern and Vättern lakes.
"The large number of scattered windfalls made clearing particularly difficult. We are therefore pleased to report that this year's storm clearing has now been completed," says Håkan Larsson.
Only thinly scattered windfalls remain in the forest on members' estates, and in some cases, windfalls on extremely wet soil. Transport away from the roads has also worked as planned. The cold and wet weather conditions in May delayed or prevented bark beetles from swarming.
"We assess the risk of widespread insect damage to be small this year. Due to the successful clearing of windfalls and cold weather in May, insect damage will probably be minor," says Göran Örlander, Forest manager at Södra.
