Browsing by master's degree program "Magisterprogrammet i skogsvetenskaper"

Nature is important to people. Urban green areas maintain a big role in provision of citizens’ recreation. Due to increasing urbanization, urban green areas are constantly diminishing. This has caused concern and distress among citizens. Various forest management measures can also cause many different reactions. Thus, nature – forests, meadows, grass fields – hold different meanings for every person. Purpose of this study was to examine how the forest management measures made in western half of Keskuspuisto (Central Park) has impacted on users’ opinions about the area. The study was conducted via web-based survey tool Maptionnaire as a half-structured web survey. 341 users took part in the survey. In total, users marked 512 favourite places, and 116 unpleasant places. Results were examined using cross tabulation, Kruskal-Wallis -test and chi-squared test with a 5 % risk. Mapped responses were examined in QGIS-software, with which the thematic maps of social values were created. Results were compared to a 2009 visitor survey. The first point of interest was how, where and how often survey respondents visited the park. In addition, users' favourite places and unpleasant places and the relating social values were examined, and whether the forest management measures have had an impact on the mapped responses. The results can be used in the forthcoming nature- and landscape management plan in the western half of Keskuspuisto. Based on the results, the western half of Keskuspuisto is very important for its users and its use is versatile. Usage of the area has increased in the last 10 years. A statistical link was not found between forest management measures and mapped responses or social values. Opinions about the forest management of the area varied greatly. It can be concluded that the forest management actions in western part of Keskuspuisto have been quite successful. Users were in general satisfied, but many voiced a concern regarding the future of the area. It is hoped that the area is kept out of future construction plans. Due to varying opinions and wishes, it is important to take the citizens' opinions into account in the city planning. The method of mapping social values and mapping favourite places and unpleasant places were useful ways to gain important information regarding the users and which areas are important to them.

The European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus L.) is one of the most concerning forest pest to Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst) forests in Central and Northern Europe. The species has been fairly well studied, especially after the storm Gudrun in Sweden in 2005 and some widespread damages in spruce forests in Central Europe in the recent years. I. typographus is a highly opportunistic species and a population can expand drastically if favorable conditions, mainly weakened or windthrown trees and suitable temperatures, are met. After reproducing on these favorable conditions, the species may have reached a population size so large that it is capable of infesting and killing even standing, healthy trees in the nearby areas. Damages caused to standing trees are the most problematic as there losses in economic revenue, carbon storage and, in some cases, ecosystem services. In Finland, the problems caused by I. typographus have fortunately been localized, but with climate change increasing extreme weather patterns, the problems are likely to increase in the future, which is why the species, as well as other potentially problematic species should be studied as intensively as possible, so that informed decisions can be made in case of a windthrown or other pest inducing event was to occur. After the Asta-storm in 2010, some 9000 cubic meters of wood had fallen in Ruokolahti municipality. Quickly after the storm, two areas (Viitalampi and Paajasensalo) were conserved under METSO-program and no commercial harvests were done in the sites, and permissions for bark beetle studies were given to increase knowledge especially on I. typographus. The two sites were mostly harvest-ready or mature Norway spruce dominated forests. Field work began in 2011 in Viitalampi, and new study plots were established in Viitalampi and Paajasensalo in subsequent years. To study bark beetle population dynamics, a total of 140 fallen trees were studied. From each tree diameters were measured at base (d0), breast-height (d1.3) and ten meters (d10), as well as full height of the tree. An entomological analysis was done in two-meter intervals (from 0m to 10m) to establish changes of bark beetle activity on a stem. A 25cmx50cm piece of bark was analyzed on each height, from which new and old entry and exit holes and different bark beetle maternal galleries were calculated. This was done on a different tree each year on a plot, although it was done only to trees which had root connections to the soil and were thus deemed alive and potential breeding and feeding ground for bark beetles. In addition, National Land Survey of Finland provided high resolution aerial images from the study sites so that the surrounding areas and conditions could be taken into account in studying bark beetle population dynamics. From the aerial images, a number of fallen and standing trees were calculated on a 25-meter zone around the center of a plot, as well as the size of the closest windthrown gap and the plot’s distance to that gap. The analysis of each measured factors’ significance to I. typographus maternal gallery density (m²) were calculated with Generalized Linear Models. Yearly changes in I. typographus occurrence were expectedly high and complied with observations in previous studies. In addition, there was a significance found in gap size and distance to gap in 2013, which could be explained with population behavior in previous years and with the exhaustion of larger and more nearby resources in the beginning of population build-up. Extensive field work combined with aerial images and other spatial tools are important in understanding the complexity of bark beetle, or any other forest pest, population dynamics. As extreme weather patterns increase, so do the damages caused by biotic agents, such as the European spruce bark beetle. Future studies are needed to educate and prepare forest owners for forest disturbances, be it from the viewpoint of commercial forestry, carbon storage or biodiversity conservation.

Structural complexity of trees is related to various ecological processes and ecosystem services. It can also improve the forests’ ability to adapt to environmental changes. In order to implement the management for complexity and to estimate its functionality, the level of structural complexity must be defined. The fractal-based box dimension (Db) provides an objective and holistic way to define the structural complexity for individual trees. The aim of this study was to compare structural complexity of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) trees measured by two remote sensing techniques, namely, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and aerial imagery acquired with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Structural complexity for each Scots pine tree (n=2065) was defined by Db-values derived from the TLS and UAV measured point clouds. TLS produced the point clouds directly whereas UAV imagery was converted into point clouds with structure from motion (SfM) technology. The premise was that TLS provides the best available information on Db-values as the point density is higher in TLS than in UAV, and be-cause TLS is able to penetrate vegetation. TLS and UAV measured Db-values were found to significantly differ from each other and, thus, the techniques did not provide comparable information on structural complexity of individual Scots pine trees. On average, UAV measured Db-values were 5% bigger than TLS measured. The divergence between the TLS and UAV measured Db-values was found to be explained by the differences in the number and distribution of the points in the point clouds and by the differences in the estimated tree heights and number of boxes in the box dimension method. Forest structure (two thinning intensities, three thinning types and a control group) significantly affected the variation of both TLS and UAV measured Db-values. However, the divergence between TLS and UAV measured Db-values remained in all the treatments. In terms of the individual tree detection, the number of obtained points in the point cloud, and the distribution of these points, UAV measurements were better when the forest structure was sparser. In conclusion, while aerial imaging is a continuously developing study area and provides many advantageous attributes, at the moment, the TLS methods still dominate in accuracy when measuring the structural complexity at the tree-level. In the future, it should be studied whether TLS and UAV could be used as complementary techniques to provide more accurate and holistic view of the structural complexity in the perspective of both tree- and stand-level.

The underlying bedrock is known to have effects on metal contents in soil and water, and thereby onto the major and trace nutrient balances in plants. Heavy metal contents in different rock types are highly variable and changes in the composition of the bedrock can happen over small distances. In Finland, the locally relatively abundant black shales in the eastern part of the country contain elevated amounts of several heavy metals, while the generally more common felsic rock types are in comparison depleted in them. The influence of elemental contents in bedrock on metal distribution in nature can be assessed through comparing metal amounts in various kinds of environmental samples, which at the same time enables identification of areas of potential environmental concern. The aim of this study is to assess the influence of bedrock on heavy metal contents in peat, ditch water, and needle samples between areas underlain by felsic or black shale bedrock in nine peatland catchments in Kainuu in eastern Finland. In addition to comparing differences in elemental contents, effort is put into evaluating strengths of correlations between metal concentrations and ash contents in peat samples and to assess which metals have a tendency of occurring together in peat. For ditch water samples, correlations will be evaluated between concentrations of metals and of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and of amounts of precipitation. In addition to influences of bedrock, other possible reasons behind differences in heavy metal amounts between areas will be looked at. Comparisons with data from other publications will in places also be made. The study is based on material collected by the Natural Resources Institute Finland in the years 2008–2015, which here includes 70 peat, 634 ditch water, and 80 needle samples. All samples were collected in nine separate forestry drained peatland catchments. Five of the catchments were located on areas underlain by felsic bedrock and four by black shales. The peat samples examined in this study range from the surface of the peat layers to 40 cm depth. The ditch water samples were collected from outlet ditches from all nine peatland catchments and needle samples were taken in eight catchments from either Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) or Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst). Half of the samples were of current year’s and half of previous year’s needles. Laboratory analyses of peat samples included measurements of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, U, and Zn concentrations by either ICP-MS or ICP-AES -methods and of ash contents through loss-on-ignition (LOI). Ditch water samples were analysed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations with the ICP-AES method, for DOC concentrations by TOC-V CPH/CPN analysis and for sulphate (SO4-S) by ion chromatography. Tree needles were measured for contents of Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn with ICP-AES. Statistical differences in metal amounts in samples by bedrock were tested with the Mann–Whitney U test and correlations using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient or the Pearson correlation coefficient. Metal concentrations in peat samples were for some tests recalculated to take into account ash contents using a linear general model. Metal stocks in peat layers (mg/m2) were also calculated for the sampling sites. As the main results, the ash corrected metal concentrations in peat were statistically significantly higher in samples collected on black shale as opposed to felsic bedrock in terms of As, Cd, Co, Mn, Ni, and Zn, while metal stocks in peat were significantly different in terms of Ni. In ditch water, samples from black shale areas had significantly higher concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn, and in tree needle samples similar significances were observed for Ni. The only cases were samples from felsic areas had significantly higher concentrations than those form black shale areas were the ash corrected concentrations of U and Cu concentrations in needle samples. Regardless of the underlying bedrock, large variations in metal amounts in all sample types were observed between catchment areas. Correlations between metal concentrations and ash contents in peat were generally relatively strong. Correlations between metals in peat were variable, and often stronger in samples collected in felsic areas. In water samples, correlations between metal and DOC concentrations were variable both between metals and catchments. The correlations between precipitation and metal concentrations in ditch water were generally weak. Overall, the composition of the bedrock was noticed to have some effects on metal concentrations in all sample types. But it was evident by the results that there are also other factors controlling metal amounts between catchments.

Northern peatlands store approximately one-third of total global terrestrial carbon (C). These peatlands were partly drained for agriculture and forestry. In drained peatland forest, beside tree stands, ground vegetation is another relevant component concerning C fluxes between the land and the atmosphere. Thus, to explore ground vegetation gross primary production (GPPGV) dynamics, its affecting factors, and impacts of the partial harvest; forest floor net exchange (NEFF) and respiration (RFF) were measured on an hourly interval with an automated closed flux chamber method were analysed. These measurements were conducted in a forestry drained peatland before (pre-harvest, 2013 – 2015) and after (post-harvest, 2016 – 2017) the partial harvest and a control area (2015 – 2017) located in southern Finland. The results showed a similar diurnal pattern of GPPGV in all three scenarios yet, with a considerably varying magnitude between these scenarios. An 83% increase in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was observed in 2016 followed by the harvest event. However, a markedly higher GPPGV was obtained in the year 2017 (139.04 mg CO2 m-2 h-1) a year after the partial harvest compared to the year 2016 (42.82 mg CO2 m-2 h-1), thereby indicating a delaying effect of partial harvest induced changes on productivity. A linear mixed effect model with fixed effects of treatment (control and partial harvest) and random effects of chambers further supported this result with a significant effect of partial harvest on GPPGV in 2017 as compared to 2016. Further, a strong positive correlation was found between the daily mean GPPGV and PAR. Additionally, types of vegetation and its share of projection cover (PC) also explained GPPGV variations between flux chambers. An increase in GPPGV after the partial harvest event showed that the ground vegetation can play a considerable role in the C cycle of a managed drained peatland forest beside tree stands. As expected, after the partial harvest more lights reached the ground layer altering productivity. Besides light availability, productivity also depends on the types and phenology of inhabiting vegetation. Thus, exploration and realization of the response of ground vegetation to the partial harvest induced changes may contribute to our understanding of natural regeneration and system recovery processes.

The loss of forest biodiversity is a global issue. In Finland, there are many measures aiming at preserving the forest biodiversity, for example, protection of the forest habitats defined in the Forest Act and in the Nature Conservation Act; protection of threatened species; the nature management methods in commercially utilized forests and the forest certification. Information of forest resources is collected mainly by remote sensing methods, but also field inventories are carried out, especially when preservation of the areas of high biodiversity value needs to be verified and monitored. Metsäteho Oy has developed an automated method for delineating harvested stands based on harvester location data. The method can be a beneficial tool for providing up-to-date forest resource information. The objective of this study was to research, if harvester location data can be utilized in verifying preservation of areas of high biodiversity value, and in recognizing potential areas, and how that could be implemented in practice. The harvester data used in this study was collected from geographically diverse areas in Finland, and the data contains stem-wise coordinates of harvester while cutting the tree. The delineations of operated areas were generated from harvester location data using the automated method developed by Metsäteho Oy. After the stand delineation was generated, the automated method was utilized in recognizing non-harvested areas left inside and between the harvested stands. Both harvested stands and non-harvested areas were compared to open forest data (including the data of the protected habitats according to the Forest Act and METSO Programme; other protected areas; habitats of threatened species; the Topographic database) using spatial data analysis. The aim was to investigate, if the known areas of high biodiversity value were delimited outside of the harvested stands or if they were left non-harvested within the harvested stand area. In addition, the aim was to research why the automatically recognized non-harvested areas were left without harvesting, and if the non-harvested areas could be potential areas of high biodiversity value. After the spatial data analysis was completed, also field surveys were carried out. Based on the spatial data analysis and the field surveys, the known areas of high biodiversity value were mainly delimited out-side of the harvested stands. The cases in which they were left without harvesting within the harvested stands, were possible to recognize through spatial data analysis. According to the spatial data analysis, part of the automatically recognized non-harvested areas were potential areas of high biodiversity value. Recognized non-harvested areas can be utilized also in recognizing retention tree groups with certain limitations. According to the results, the recognition method for high biodiversity value areas, based on harvester location data, can be utilized when verifying preservation of the high biodiversity value areas, and also other areas that are recorded in spatial data. Based on the observations of this study, it is possible to develop an automated recognition method for high biodiversity value areas, when spatial analysis of datasets in vector format is automated. The positioning accuracy of harvester and the automated method for delineating harvested stands are still causing some challenges when interpreting the results. Also, timeliness and accuracy of the available data of high biodiversity value areas affect on the results of the automated method. To combine different data sources effectively, a data platform is needed in order to use the automated method fluently. The recognition method for high biodiversity value areas can be utilized, for example, when reporting the quality of harvesting work. In addition, the method can be utilized in targeting and minimizing the amount of field inventories when verifying new areas of high biodiversity value. The method enables collecting information and automated monitoring of how the nature management has been integrated into forest management operations in practice. That information contributes to the utilization of forests in economically and ecologically sustainable way.

Up-to-date forest inventory benefits the entire forest industry, all the way from forest owners to buyers of raw wood. The forest inventory gathered through remote sensing data and field sample plots by both National Forest Inventory (NFI) and Finnish Forest Centre supports large-scale strategic planning of forestry management and creates a foundation for forest planning as well as up-to-date forest inventory. Operative planning and up-to-date forest inventory also require information about recent cuttings. Finnish Forest Centre has deemed it necessary to develop tools to monitor the realized cuttings on an annual basis. The aim is that data from annual forest operations and cuttings could be transferred into updated forest inventory as soon as possible. The main focus of this thesis was on a method developed by Metsäteho Oy, whereby a stand delineation is automatically created for each forest stand based on harvester data (Melkas ym. 2020). Stand delineation carried out on the basis of stem-specific harvester location data would enable to constantly update the forest inventory in conjunction with logging operations. Stand delineation is an important information because stand area is routinely used as a coefficient in the estimation of stand-specific logging accumulation (Belbo & Talbot 2020). The harvester data was gathered between December 2017 and June 2018 and comprised approximately 3,000 harvested objects and 5,316,214 locations all over continental Finland. The stem-spesific location data recorded by harvester is used in automated stand delineation. Using triangulation, the location data of the stands was combined into a network, and a buffer zone was created for the resulting polygon to reduce the contribution of errors in GNSS navigation while also reflecting the reach of the harvester boom. The use of harvester location data also made it possible to automatically create a strip road network, which in turn allowed to calculate stand-specific strip road variables. Compared to aerial photography references, automated delineation yielded reliable stand delineations when carried out with three most common logging methods and when the stand area was at least .75 hectares. The automated stand was on average three per cent larger than the reference stand manually created from digital aerial photographs. Compared to reference stands, the relative areas of the automated stands were as follows: 1.044 for the first thinning; 1.020 for later thinnings; 1.034 for clear cutting; and 1.031 for all of these harvesting methods combined. There was little variation between the various harvesting methods, and the correlation between automated stand areas and references increased with the size of the stand. For stands with an area more than 1.5 hectares the relative difference in areas was, on average, only around one per cent. Another aim was the validation of automated strip road calculation. On the basis of harvester locations, a strip road network was created, where the to-and-fro movement of the harvester was ignored. Next, the automatically created strip road network was used to calculate the average spacings between strip roads (in metres) and strip road density (in metres/hectare). This was done comprehensively for each stand. In addition, the strip road variables were calculated by emulating sample plot measurements carried out by the Finnish Forest Centre in the evaluation of the quality of harvesting sites objects. Both results were realistic when compared to best practices in forest management. On average, the spacing between strip roads in thinning areas was 20.7 metres and 17.1 metres in clear cuttings. To sum up, there was a reliable correlation between automated stand delineation and reference stands both in terms of area and location; thus, it would be viable to integrate the automatically delineated stands as part of reliable and up-to-date forest inventory. The results of strip road calculation are applicable to validate the implementation of the recommendations set for strip road networks.

Puukaupassa eletään monen syyn seurauksena muutoksen aikaa. Entistä kehittyneempi kaukokartoituspohjainen metsä-varatieto, muuttuva metsänomistajarakenne sekä puun noussut kysyntä antavat mahdollisuuksia kehittää, mutta myös pakottavat muuttamaan puukaupan vakiintuneita menetelmiä. Runkohinnoittelun, eli puutavaralajien katkonnasta riippumaton puun hinnoittelutapa on kasvattanut nopeasti osuuttaan markkinoilla. Samanaikaisesti metsävaratiedon tarkkuus on lisääntynyt uuden laserkeilauskierroksen myötä, ja kilpailu uusiutuvasta puuraaka-aineesta kasvanut sekä energia- että teollisuuskäytössä maailmanlaajuisten megatrendien ja Venäjän aloittaman hyökkäyssodan aiheuttaminen maailmankaupan muutosten seurauksena. Metsäkeskus tuottaa avointa metsävaratietoa, joka on saatavissa metsätalouden operatiivisen suunnittelun tueksi erilai-siin metsäjärjestelmiin. Tieto on nopeaa ottaa käyttöön, objektiivista, ajantasaistettua sekä varttuneissa metsissä luotet-tavaa. Tutkimuksessa käytettiin tätä avointa tietoa kuvioina vuoden 2020 ajantasaistetussa muodossa. Referenssiaineiston muodostivat 114 korjuulohkoa, joiden harvennuspoistuman keskijäreys ja puutavaralajijakauma tiedettiin hakkuukoneen mittaustietojen perusteella. Lohkot olivat työn tilaajan, Skogsvårdsföreningen Österbotten rf:n puunkorjuuyhtiön hakkaamia. Tutkimuksessa etsittiin parhaat selittäjät ja luotiin mallit poistuman keskijäreyden ja tukkiprosentin ennustamiseksi metsänvaratiedosta harvennushakkuulla. Lisäksi selvitettiin yllä mainittujen tunnusten ennustettavuus eri järeyksillä. Ennusteiden tilastolliset tunnusluvut laskettiin ja mallien käytännön sovellettavuutta arvioitiin. Tulokseksi saatiin, että etenkin poistuman keskijäreys kyetään ennustamaan jopa suhteellisen vanhasta metsävaratiedosta sen verran tarkasti, että mallien käyttöä voisi kokeilla puunhankinnan operaatioissa. Ennalta tunnetun mukaisesti ennustaminen oli luotettavaa varttuneemmissa puustoissa. Keskijäreyden osalta paras selittäjä oli metsävaratiedon summapuuston keskiläpimitta, johon pohjautuva malli ennusti hakkuussa toteutuneen keskijäreyden alle 10 % suhteellisella ennustevirheellä. Tukkiprosenttia kyettiin ennustamaan vastaavalla tavalla, mutta aineiston vähäisen tukkikertymän vuoksi mallien ennusteet eivät olleet kovinkaan luotettavia. Molempien vastemuuttujien tapauksessa mallien selitysasteet jäivät noin 50 %:n tasolle. Tulokset olivat osittain kuvioittaisen maastoarvioinnin yleisinä pidettyjä virhemarginaaleja parempia, sekä toteuttajasta riippumattomia. Tulokset olivat siten kuitenkin rohkaisevia ja tukevat kaukokartoitetun metsävaratiedon entistä laajempaa soveltamista tulevaisuudessa.

Finland is the world's seventh largest producer of softwood timber and the fourth largest exporter. Three-quarters of the approximately 12 million cubic meters of sawn timber produced annually are exported to more than 60 countries. The total annual value of exports in 2021 was approximately EUR 2.8 billion. Finnish sawmills are the backbone of the Finnish economy, but at the same time they are part of a global operating environment whose movements, directly or indirectly, affect product demand and prices, industry profitability, operating conditions, forest raw material prices, Finnish employment, Finland's GDP and society's well-being. This study was conducted as a collective case study. The aim of was to identify global weak signals that could be interpreted to anticipate short-term movements in the global sawn timber market. Also, the aim was to retrospectively identify potential events that have previously triggered or have been a driving force behind market developments and to provide sawmill operators a tool to anticipate these movements, prepare for possible events and support strategic planning. The research question of the thesis was the following: Are there identifiable similar signals or series of events that have had congruent effects on the development of the global sawn timber market in the 21st century? The purpose of the auxiliary research question was to deepen the understanding of the operating environment and the impact mechanisms of change. The auxiliary research question sought to establish whether the effects have been direct or indirect. The methods of future studies and business environment research are used in this research. The key elements in the study are PESTEL framework, scenario method and the future table. The study builds on previous future studies and the use of scenario methods, providing a perspective on a relatively little-studied industry. The study was conducted as an explanatory extensive case study. The research material consisted of industry and customs statistics for selected periods and semi-structured qualitative thematic interviews. Finnish long-term professionals in the export and trade of sawn timber, influencers from the domestic and foreign policy scene in the 21st century, and professionals in the economic and social sciences were selected for interviews. The interview material was themed and a future table describing the industry was built on the basis of it. Three different scenarios utilizing the narrative were formed from the future table. The research question was approached with the help of the PESTEL tool. It was used to map the phenomena shaping the global sawn timber market. Several different factors affecting the market were found. The study also showed that weak signals can be found in the context of the global timber trade. With regard to the auxiliary research question, all the weak signals observed in the research have had indirect effects on the operations of Finnish sawmills in a global context. The study showed that weak signals could be found in the operating environment of the global sawn timber market and that their effects on Finnish companies have been indirect. Since weak signals have occurred in the past, it is entirely expected that they are found now and, in the future, too. In order to succeed in a fast-paced and complex operating environment, it would be advisable for sawmills to build internal processes for a more diverse observation of the operating environment. The results of this study and the future table can be used in companies' strategy work and as a basis for their own scenarios.

Hiilinielujen kasvattaminen on olennainen osa ilmastonmuutoksen hillintää. Kasvavan metsän rooli tunnustetaan tärkeäksi, mutta myös metsistä tapahtuvaan hiilen vapautumiseen on kiinnitettävä huomiota. Yksi keino hiilinielujen vahvistamiseen on kompensaatiojärjestelmä metsänomistajille. Hiilensidonnan lisäämiseen tähtäävä kannustin tarjoaa potentiaalisen instrumentin ilmastonmuutoksen hillintään metsäsektorilla. Tässä tutkimuksessa kartoitettiin hiilikompensaatiojärjestelmien piirteitä ja metsänomistajien preferenssejä liittyä hiilensidonnasta maksettavaan järjestelmään kvantitatiivisen kyselyn ja tilastollisen mallinnuksen avulla. Metsänomistajille lähetettiin sähköinen kysely, jossa esiteltiin taustakysymyksien lisäksi yhdeksän vaihtoehtoista hiilikompensaatiojärjestelmää. Jokainen järjestelmä koostui neljästä ominaispiirteistä eli attribuutista, joista jokaisesta oli määritetty kolme vaihtoehtoista tasoa. Kyselyssä käytettiin paras-huonoin valintakoemenetelmää, jossa vastaaja valitsee esitetystä profiilista parhaimman sekä huonoimman vaihtoehdon. Kyselyn tuloksista aineistoon hyväksyttiin 1399 vastausta, joista mallinnettiin vaikutuskertoimet jokaiselle esitetylle attribuutin tasolle. Vaikutuskertoimet kuvastavat metsänomistajien preferenssejä ja niiden avulla voitiin järjestää attribuutit ja niiden tasot vaikuttavuusjärjestykseen. Hiilikompensaatiojärjestelmien ominaispiirteitä ovat kompensaation järjestäjätaho, kompensaatiosta saatava taloudellinen hyvitys, ohjelmakauden ennenaikaisen irtisanoutumisen sanktio ja sopimuksen tai ohjelmakauden sitoutumisaika. Tulokset osoittavat, että metsänomistajien mielestä kielteisimpiä ominaisuuksia olivat sitoutumisaika ja irtisanomissanktio, joskin sanktion suuruudella ei ollut merkittävää vaikutusta koettuun hyötyyn. Tärkeimpänä ominaisuutena nähtiin hehtaarikohtainen hyvitys, joka vaikutti eniten metsänomistajien kokemaan hyötyyn. Vastausaineiston mukaan metsänomistajat haluavat hiilikompensaatiojärjestelmän järjestäjäksi mieluiten voittoa tavoittelemattoman organisaation.