Trollberget Demonstration Area
Together with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the Grip on Life project has established a forest demonstration and research area at Trollberget in Vindeln Municipality, focusing on various ditch management practices and their impact on watercourses and wetlands.
The Demonstration Area
The Trollberget demonstration area is divided into two trails with information signs. One trail covers wetland restoration, while the other shows completed ditch cleaning in forest land and environmental considerations taken during the cleaning process.
The trails are approximately 600 and 800 meters long, respectively, with markers in the terrain to help visitors find their way.
The demonstration area is open to anyone interested and is also suitable for organizations that wish to conduct on-site training in the forest on ditch management practices or wetland restoration.
The Research Area
The measures at Trollberget, funded by Grip on Life, include ditch cleaning, wetland restoration, and some ditches left untouched as control sites. These actions have been carried out in collaboration with the landowner, Holmen Skog. SLU monitors the results of these actions to assess their effects on water quality and flow. The goal of these measures and the monitoring process is to contribute knowledge to ensure that appropriate actions are taken in the right locations.
Large Number of External Research Projects
Since measurements and studies began at Trollberget within Grip on Life in 2018, a significant number of external research projects have joined the area to deepen the understanding of ditch management impacts.
The research conducted in the area includes studies on the effects of these measures on greenhouse gases, mercury levels, vegetation, and water flows. Additionally, researchers are investigating the extent to which buffer zones’ functions can be maintained based on the width of tree-covered buffer zones left alongside waterways after logging.
More information on ongoing research projects affiliated with SLU in the Trollberget research area is available on the SLU website.