Sustainable Forest Management: Past, Present, Future

Dear Colleagues,

Forests are globally significant carbon sinks and stocks, and provide many provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural ecosystem services, respectively. However, there is a pressure to increase the intensity of management and utilization of forest resources, to satisfy the increasing demand for wood for the growing bioeconomy. At the same time, the multiple needs and targets of forest owners and society as a whole must be sustained. Large uncertainties exist also in the expected climate change and its impacts on forests and forestry in different European regions, from boreal, to temperature and Mediterranean regions, respectively. Many abiotic and biotic risks to forests may also increase in different regions under the changing climate. In addition, the responses of forests to climate change may vary largely depending on the region, forest structure, management and severity of climate change. Intensified management and wood harvesting may increase the risk of some forest disturbances, too. Thus, there is an urgent need to adapt to the climate change, considering the increasing risk to forests and forestry. At the same time, climate change should be mitigated, e.g., by increasing simultaneously the carbon sinks and stocks of forests, and use of wood-based products and energy to substitute for fossil resources, respectively. Different adaptive management and harvesting strategies may also be needed in different regions, and depending on the severity of climate change and associated risks to forests, to ensure sustainable forestry. We encourage both experimental and simulation-based studies, to contribute to this Special Issue in order to promote knowledge on pre-conditions for sustainable forestry under changing operative environment, which is crucial for decision making in forestry.

Prof. Dr. Heli Peltola
Guest Editor

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