The over-all intention with the project is to create knowledge for an integrated management of forest and moose. The project has three foci 1. to identify the main factors determining moose habitat and forage utilisation, 2) to develop methods to produce preferred moose forage by modifications of forest management activities, and to test their efficiency in reducing moose damage, and 3) to be able to quantitatively define the effort required to reach defined goals, e.g., in terms if density of undamaged stems. The first topic is mainly pursued in the planning project, but will also be included in the main project. The second topic, to integrate the production of preferred moose forage in normal forest management with the purpose to reduce browsing damage to leading stems, will be the main focus of the proposed project, and will provide information to use in the third step.
In large experimental areas, landscape scale, regeneration of pine will be with enhanced soil scarification, to promote the establishment of dense stands, providing much moose forage. Where possible, early thinning will be carried out by top thinning, cutting the trees not at the base but at ca 0.5 m, above the lowest productive branches. These trees will continue to produce moose forage for many years. All late thinning and final logging of pine will be done during winter, and tops and branches made available for moose to browse. The forage thus provided is expected to be preferred by moose compared to browsing from intact young pine. By quantification of forage produced and consumed, we will be able to reach the predictive understanding required for the 3rd focus.