Dear Colleagues,

Forestry per se can be seen as one of the most prominent examples of applied bio-economy. Tree growth is mainly based on the naturally existing sources of mineral nutrients in soils and exchange processes of water and gases in the atmosphere and soil. High efficiencies of internal cycles, such as nutrient re-cycling from litter fall, are of central importance, and external inputs, such as fertilizers or other fossil-fuel-based inputs, are comparably low in our forests. However, under strongly increasing demands for wood-based energy sources and new silvicultural strategies to combat climate change impacts by increasing the shares of broadleaf woods, the sustainability-oriented forest bio-economy has been challenged. Effects of enhanced residual forest wood exploitations, impacts of fast growing tree plantations, as well as newly developed production and consumer profiles, such as hardwoods and other wood-based products, have to be investigated and adapted for future scenarios. Thus, the bio-economy of wood production and consumption has to be carefully balanced with respect to economics, competitiveness, and sustainability.

Prof. Dr. Norbert Lamersdor
Guest Editor

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• bio-economy
• sources
• wood production