%0 Research article
%T The effect of quality management on forest regeneration activities in privately-owned forests in southern Finland
%A Kankaanhuhta, Ville
%A Saksa, Timo
%A Smolander, Heikki
%D 2010
%J Silva Fennica
%V 44
%N 2
%R doi:10.14214/sf.157
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/157
%X This study describes the effect of quality management on forest  regeneration activities in privately-owned forests in southern Finland.  The study material consists of two mail surveys conducted in 2006 and  2007. The questionnaires were sent to forestry professionals in Forest  Owners’ Associations (FOAs), who had either participated (participants)  or not (non-participants) in the forest regeneration quality management  interventions in years 2000–2006. Quality management interventions of  the FOAs included field inventories, feedback meetings, and education  sessions about quality techniques. The activities of participant and  non-participant FOAs were compared in terms of the available resources,  the actions taken, and the aspirations for improvement. In the FOAs,  which had participated in quality management, the number of excavator  contractors had increased by 16% more than in the non-participant FOAs.  The contractors had acquired 23% more soil preparation equipment under  the supervision of the participant forestry professionals. The soil  preparation method used in conjunction with Norway spruce that had most  increased in use was patch mounding. Seedlings that were 1.5 years and  older were used by participant forestry professionals in the planting of  Norway spruce 11% more than by non-participants. The planting workers  had attended 14% more educational sessions, while the use of  self-control measurements in soil preparation and planting density had  been adopted 10% more frequently under the supervision of the forestry  professionals participating in the quality management. A greater  interest in obtaining feedback by using quality control inventories was  also found among forestry professionals who participated in quality  management.