Finnish Society of Forest Science awards annually prizes for excellent doctoral and master’s theses accepted during the preceding year. The awards are made among the theses proposed by the Department of Forest Sciences at the University of Helsinki and the School of Forest Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland. The number of awards is not fixed but depends on the quality of the theses proposed in each year. Typically, the Society awards 1-2 prizes for excellent doctoral dissertations and 1-3 prizes for excellent M.Sc. theses.
The prizes of 2026 were published in the Spring meeting of the Society on 13 April 2026. There were one doctoral dissertation prize and three master’s thesis prizes awarded this time. The doctoral thesis was presented at the Spring meeting.
Prize for an excellent doctoral dissertation
Dr Heli Kymäläinen, University of Eastern Finland. Well-being and productivity of forest machine operators – ergonomic support measures, https://doi.org/10.14214/df.370
The dissertation handles the well-being and productivity of CTL machine operators and possibilities to improvements via ergonomic solutions. The theme was non-traditional in a refreshing manner. The study aptly combines various materials and utilises also monitoring data from smart watches and forest machines. Feasible suggestions for development in the practical forest harvesting environment are given. The sub-studies contributed well to the entity by answering to different research questions. Dr Kymäläinen is the first author in all sub-studies.
The dissertation was published in the number 370 of Dissertationes Forestales, which is a dissertation series by the Finnish Society of Forest Science in cooperation with the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland.
Prizes for excellent M.Sc. theses
M.Sc. Alm Gnista, University of Helsinki, Economic optimization of boreal Norway spruce forest management with coarse woody debris and carbon sinks, http://hdl.handle.net/10138/591716
This thesis investigates how placing social prices on carbon and coarse woody debris affects forest management, coarse woody debris amounts, carbon sinks and storages as well as wood production value when the combined value of wood production and carbon sinks or coarse woody debris is maximized. Additionally, it examines the costs related to increasing carbon and coarse woody debris in a boreal Norway spruce forest stand. The thesis forms a carefully finalised entity, where the principles of good scientific presentation are excellently realised.
M.Sc. Kristiina Koivu, University of Helsinki, Bark water vapor conductance and bark photosynthesis in branches of circumboreal tree species, http://hdl.handle.net/10138/597490
The thesis expands the studies of bark photosynthesis and bark water vapor conductance into boreal forests by using measurements of 15 boreal tree species. The results reported in the thesis suggest that low bark conductance and efficient bark photosynthesis might co-occur as species-specific traits, both perhaps increasing tolerance to dry conditions. The data collection and analyses presented in this work made a great impression on the master’s thesis prize committee.
M.Sc. Aleksi Knaappila, University of Eastern Finland, Forest fires in Finland 2014–2023 – Factors affecting ignition and size of the fires [in Finnish], https://erepo.uef.fi/handle/123456789/34196
The study investigates the factors affecting ignition and spread of fire with help of various statistical data sets. A greater explanatory power of human activity and weather factors compared to stand characteristics was identified: in future, particularty the effects of human activity should be better accounted for.
The thesis was clear and the modelling part convincing. Knaappila was also awarded a grant for research expenses for the field work in 2026, in connection to his doctoral thesis work deepening the master’s thesis theme.
| Photo credits on this page: Heli Kymäläinen (own photo), Monica Celeste (Alm Gnista’s photo), Hilkka Pajukangas (Kristiina Koivu’s photo) and Jenna Toivonen (Aleksi Knaappila’s photo). |