Research areas

We are interested in what and how pathways towards sustainability transformations are created; who takes part to those processes; how various concepts and approaches overlap or complement each other, and what is missed. Examples of our publications include the following.

D'Amato, D., Korhonen, J., Toppinen, A. 2019.  Circular, Green, and Bio economy: how do companies in land-use intensive sectors align with sustainability concepts? Ecological Economics 159, 116-133.

Toppinen, A., Korhonen, J., Hurmekoski, E., Hansen, E. 2017. What makes a European forest-based bioeconomy competitive? in: Winkel, G. Towards a Sustainable European Forest-Based Bioeconomy: Assessment and the way forward. European Forest Institute.

D'Amato, D., Droste, N., Allen, B., Kettunen, Lähtinen, K., Korhonen, K., Leskinen, P., Matthies, B.D., Toppinen, A. 2017. Green, circular, bio economy: A comparative analysis of sustainability avenues. Journal of Cleaner Production 168,  716-734.

Matthies, B.D., D’Amato, D., Berghäll, S., Ekholm, T., Hoen, H.F., Holopainen, J., Korhonen, J.E., Lähtinen, K., Mattila, O., Toppinen, A., Valsta, L., Wang, L., Yousefpour, R. 2016. An ecosystem service-dominant logic? - integrating the ecosystem service approach and the service-dominant logic. Journal of Cleaner Production 124, 51–64.

Pätäri, S., Tuppura, A., Toppinen, A., Korhonen, J., 2015. Global sustainability megaforces in shaping the future of the European pulp and paper industry towards a bioeconomy. Forest Policy Economics 66, 38–46.

Integration of private sector and enhancement of industrial value-chains are among the crucial elements of sustainability transformations in the forest-based sector. By identifying and evaluating the strategies and relationships of power between actors with different objectives, values and aspirations, we increase our  understanding on  the future trajectory of the forest-based sectors and their sustainability. Furthermore, we apply integrative approaches to analyze forest-based good and service markets, including how the market dynamics are influenced by policies and changing societal values.

D'Amato, D., Veijonaho, S., Toppinen, A. 2018. Towards Sustainability? Forest-based circular bioeconomy business models in Finnish SME. Forest Policy and Economics (In Press).

Kuuluvainen, J., Korhonen, J., Xu, D., Toppinen, A. 2018. Price integration for domestic and imported sawlogs and pulpwood in Finland: an update. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 33, 71-80.

Soimakallio S., Saikku L., Valsta L, and Pingoud K. 2016. Climate change mitigation challenge for wood utilization – the case of Finland. Environmental Science and Technology 50, 5127–5134.

Hansen, E., Conroy, K., Toppinen, A., Bull, L., Kutnar, A. Panwar, R. 2016. Does gender diversity matter in the global forest sector companies? Canadian Journal of Forest Research 46, 1255-1263.

Häyrinen, L. E. E., Mattila, O. P. A., Berghäll, S. A., Toppinen, A. M. K., Närhi, M. K.  2016. Exploring the future use of forests: perceptions from non-industrial private forest owners in Finland. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 12 51-64.

Holopainen, J., Toppinen, A., Perttula, S. 2015. Impact of European Union Timber Regulation on Forest Certification Strategies in the Finnish Wood Industry Value Chain. Forests 6, 2879-96.

Korhonen, J., Zhang, Y., Toppinen, A. 2016. Examining timberland ownership and control strategies in the global forest sector. Forest Policy and Economics, 70 39-46.

Mattila, O. P. A., Hämäläinen, K., Häyrinen, L. E. E., Berghäll, S. A., Lähtinen, K. P. & Toppinen, A. M. K. 2016. Strategic business networks in the Finnish wood products industry: a case of two small and medium-sized enterprises. Silva Fennica 50(3).

Toppinen, A. M. K., Röhr, R. E. A., Pätäri, S., Lähtinen, K., Toivonen, R. M. 2016. Environmental change factors in wooden multistory construction - a Delphi study from Finland and Sweden. Scandinavian forest economics 46, 84-95.

We focus on understanding the cross-scale inter-dependencies connecting people and forest ecosystems, which we deem necessary for achieving socially legitimate, sustainable governance of forests. Our work encompasses valuation of and trade-offs among forest ecosystem services, evaluation of the human impacts of land use change, and analysis of the behaviour of the many actors involved in forest governance. Although we emphasise empirical analyses in diverse contexts, we also hold more theoretical contributions to the literature in high regard. Recent examples of our publications in high-impact journals include the following.

Malkamäki, A., D'Amato, D., Hogarth, N., Kanninen, M., Pirard, R., Toppinen, A., Zhou, W. 2018. A systematic review of the socio-economic impacts of large-scale tree plantations, worldwide. Global Environmental Change 53, 90-103.

La Notte, A., D'amato, D., Mäkinen, H., Paracchini, M. L., Liquete, C., Egoh, B., Geneletti, . D., Crossman, N. 2017. Ecosystem services classification: A systems ecology perspective of the cascade framework. Ecological Indicators 74, 392-402.

D’Amato, D., Rekola, M., Li, D., Toppinen, A. 2016. Monetary valuation of forest ecosystem services in China: A literature review and identification of future research needs. Ecological Economics 121, 75–84. 

Matthies, B.D., Kalliokoski, T., Eyvindson, K., Honkela, N., Hukkinen, J.I., Kuusinen, N., Räisänen, P., Valsta, L. 2016. Nudging service providers and assessing service trade-offs to reduce the social inefficiencies of Payments for Ecosystem Services schemes. Environmental Science & Policy 55, 228–237.

Malkamäki, A., Toppinen, A., Kanninen, M. 2016. Impacts of land use and land use changes on the resilience of beekeeping in Uruguay. Forest Policy and Economics 70, 113-123.

Forest economics and management combines the various economic criteria of decision-making with the function of the forest ecosystem. Thus, we are concerned with the interplay of humans and nature in forests. Choices of decision-makers are based on their goals which may differ considerably. How forests react to forest operations is usually described by dynamical models, generally leading to investment analyses and optimization.

Matthies, B.M., Bredahl Jacobsen J., Knoke T., Paul, C., Valsta, L.T. 2019. Utilising portfolio theory in environmental research – new perspectives and considerations. Journal of Environmental Management, 231C, 926-939.

Valsta, L., Bredahl Jacobsen, J. 2018. Optimizing the management of European mixed forests. Pp 381-396 in: Dynamics, silviculture and management of mixed forests (Bravo-Oviedo A, Pretzsch H, del Río M (eds.). 420+10 p. Springer series in Managing forest ecosystems 31. Springer. Cham, Switzerland.

Karppinen, H., Hänninen, M., Valsta, L. 2018. Forest owners’ views on storing carbon in their forests. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research 33, 7, 708-715.

Hurttala, H., Cao, T., Valsta, L. 2017. Optimization of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) management with the total net return from the value chain. Journal of Forest Economics, 28, 1-11.

Hurttala, H., Cao, T., Valsta, L. 2017. Optimization of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) management with the total net return from the value chain. Journal of Forest Economics, 28, 1-11.

Matthies, B.D., Valsta, L.T. 2016. Optimal forest species mixture with carbon storage and albedo effect for climate change mitigation. Ecological Economics, 123, 95-105.