Prescribed burned forest with a small lake

Species Commitment and habitats

SCA's forests are home to a variety of flora and fauna, and shall continue to be so. To make our nature conservation measures even more effective we make measure to preserve, devlop and restore habitats important for species that are disadvantaged by forestry. This will help us achieve an even greater precision in our work with biodiversity.

SCA and the SLU, Swedish Agricultural University has together made an in-depth analysis of the Swedish Red List (2020). The Red list is a compilation of the status of various species in Sweden. A species is red listed if it decreases significantly in numbers over a short period, if it is uncommon or has a very small distribution area. 

203 Species Commitment

In total, there are approximately 17,000 species living in the forests of northern Sweden. We have identified that 203 of these species are red-listed, are found on our land holdings and are negatively affected by various forestry measures. These include certain fungi, mosses, lichens, insects and birds.

As a large forest owner in Norrland, SCA has a special responsibility for these species and we therefore call them our Species Commitment.

This is how we counted

Number of species in Sweden 50, 000
 of which in northern Sweden 17,000
of which is living in the forest 7,400
of which is red-listed 982
of which is red-listed because of forestry 865
of which is red-listed because of forestry and living on SCA's land 203
owl

Many of the forest's species cope relatively well with the habitats created when we conduct forestry with basic retention. Several of our Species commitment, however, have more specific requirements for their habitat and may need different types of active and targeted measures.

Together with other players in forestry and with society at large, we want to ensure that their environments exist to such an extent that the species will be able to remain in the forest landscape of the future.

Develop and preserve habitats

In our analysis, we have also identified and described 11 habitats, representing the requirements of each of our Species commitment. Examples of habitats that we have identified:

  • Older spruce-dominated coniferous natural forest with dead wood in various stages of decomposition.
  • Coniferous forest with long-term continuity of dead wood
  • Forest on humid or wet soils, often adjacent to streams and lakes 
  • Light pine forest with continuity of dead wood 
  • Forest recently impacted by fire 

We have analyzed how much of these habitats exist within our forest land holdings, and the encompasses a total of around 400,000 hectares. The exist within our voluntary set-asides, conservation areas and certain conservation patches and on low-productive land with no forestry. 

To preserve, develop and recreate thes types of habitat, we take several different  measures. Saving light older pine forests, creating sunny gaps in specific forest areas and carrying out prescribed burnings are some examples.

By helping our responsible species, we also benefit many species that have lower demands on their habitat.

More facts

In our document "Delivering biodiversity conservation - a SCA initiative" you can read more about this program and our work and also see the list of our species.

Read the document

Habitat that promotes the black woodpecker and many others

Here we present three examples of protected species and the habitats they depend on.

Habitat

Mature coniferous forests where living trees and/or plenty of deadwood have always existed.

Black woodpecker

The black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) is Sweden’s largest woodpecker and lives in coniferous or mixed forests, preferably with some sunlight and plenty of old trees and deadwood. It generally chooses a tall and thick aspen for its nest tree, but a pine is also common. It can make its nest hole in living trees, which not all woodpeckers can do. Old nests are used by birds and bats, for example. The black woodpecker is therefore considered a keystone species. To promote the black woodpecker, we need to ensure there are mature forests in the landscape, and thick pine and aspen that can serve as nest trees in managed forests.

Habitat that promotes the Calypso orchid and many others

Habitat

Coniferous or deciduous forest with nutrient-rich soil, where living trees have always existed.

Diamond Willow Fungus

The Calypso orchid (Calypso bulbosa) grows in slightly moist, herbaceous and mossy coniferous forests in calcareous soil. The Calypso orchid is susceptible to even slight disturbances in its environment and requires preferably completely untouched forest. We promote it by excluding mature forests from timber production (voluntary set-asides), and by leaving consideration patches when harvesting. The Calypso orchid is difficult to find, especially when the flower is not present. Known locations are always protected.

Habitat that promotes the diamond willow fungus and many others

Habitat

Forests with an abundance of deciduous trees, or broad-leaved forests with both living and dead trees.

Diamond Willow Fungus

The Diamond Willow Fungus (Haploporus odorus) is a fungus that spreads a strikingly strong smell of anise in damp weather. It grows almost exclusively on living willows that been allowed to grow tall. By saving valuable forests with an abundance of old willows, retaining all willows when harvesting and thinning, and protecting young willows when clearing, we can ensure that habitats for the Diamond Willow Fungus are retained in the landscape.

About the Red List

The Swedish Red List, compiled by the Swedish Species Information Centre (SLU Artdatabanken) assesses approximately 23,000 species out of the roughly 50,000 that have been found in Sweden. The latest Red List was published in March 2026.

Species that are not declining and that are common in large parts of the country are assessed as Viable and are not red listed. Species is red listed if it is declining in number, is uncommon and/or has a very small distribution area. In this case, the species ends up in one of the categories Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered. 

Of the total species on the Red List, just over 4,700 are classified as red-listed and divided into various threat categories (2020). The species that are classified as Vulnerable, Critically Endangered and Critically Endangered are in turn referred to as “threatened species”. Red listed species are not automatically protected by law, but there are several red listed species that are protected, and therefore protected.

Read more

a basal burning on a pine

Active and targeted measures

Many species thrive with the basic retention we leave, but there are also species that have more specific habitat requirements. Some of them do not require untouched forests to thrive; on the contrary, they depend on active and targeted measures to ensure their habitats remain intact

A dead aspen lying in the forest

Landscapes for endangered species

SCA have designated ten areas as Action Plan landscapes, due to their high concentration of species that are particularly sensitive and require specific management for their habitat. By promoting these species, we can promote several other that also benefit from our measurements.

Old aspen forest

Indicators for biodiversity

Dead wood and old forest are a few examples of indicators for biodiversity in the forest. This means they represent important factors to ensure a diversity of species. SCA tracks the development of five key indicators in our holdings over time and the result has been very positive. The different indicators have risen by about 25-90% in a relatively short period.