{"id":225,"date":"2025-09-30T12:49:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T12:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forestscandal.org\/?page_id=225"},"modified":"2025-11-13T14:58:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T13:58:53","slug":"background","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/forestscandal.org\/sv\/background\/","title":{"rendered":"Bakgrund"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n\n\n

Background<\/h1>\n\n\n

Background<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\n Sweden\u2019s natural forests are being destroyed<\/strong>\n<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sweden’s old-growth and continuity forests – some of Europe\u2019s last unprotected natural forest ecosystems – are disappearing at an alarming rate. Every year tens of thousands of hectares of such forests are notified to be clear cut.

The main culprit behind this disastrous development is SCA<\/strong>, Europe’s largest private forest owner. Although the company has been FSC-certified for more than 20 years, it has repeatedly and systematically clear cut forests with conservation values – home to protected and red-listed species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n \u2022<\/span> What is a continuity forest? \u25bc<\/span><\/summary>\n

\n A continuity forest is a forest that has never been clear-cut. These precious forests have a unique biodiversity and long continuity, and are, if not managed with modern forestry, self-regulating complex dynamic habitats. Forests that have not been clear-cut in the past are finite critical habitats.

\n Continuity forest is defined<\/a> by the Swedish Forest Agency (2011) as: \u201cA forest that has natural values whose occurrence is explained by the fact that for a long time there have been suitable forest habitats and substrates in this particular forest or in its vicinity\u201c<\/em>.

\n Many species are associated with continuity forests, and these forests have a unique biological diversity. The Swedish Species Information Center at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences states that<\/a>: “Lack of continuity forests, i.e. forests that have never been clear-cut, is one of the main reasons why forest-dwelling species are listed on the Swedish Red List.” and that: “In order to reverse the trend of declining populations, unprotected forest environments, with habitats for red-listed species, need to be preserved in the long term throughout the country.”<\/em> For more info, visit SLU website<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n