Special Issue: Transitioning to Continuous Cover Forestry in Times of Climate Change and Energy Crisis

Introduction

Continuous cover forestry (CCF) is forest management approach based on ecological principles. While it has a long history in Central Europe, it is relatively new to other regions of the world. At present, the popularity of CCF is on the rise due to its potential to mitigate climate change, to increase or maintain biodiversity in forest ecosystems, provide valuable tools for forest conservation and enhance the appeal of woodlands used for recreation.

Recently the EU forest strategy for 2030 stated clearcutting should be “used only in duly justified cases, for example when proven necessary for environmental or ecosystem health reasons”. The strategy also promotes “the creation or maintenance at stand and landscape level of genetically and functionally diverse, mixed‐species forests.”

Earlier this year the European Forest Institute (EFI) launched a new strategy underpinning CCF principles with scientific evidence. A major challenge lies in the transition to CCF, particularly in introducing this management approach to countries or regions where it has not been commonly practiced. For example, the UK faced this challenge 20 years ago, and now CCF is being considered for introduction in the congress host country, Sweden. The global energy crisis has added another layer of complexity to implementing CCF.

Topics covered: Forest/landscape ecology, silviculture, human behaviour

Guest Editor

Prof. Dr. Arne Pommerening

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU

arne.pommerening@slu.se

Submission Guidelines

Please submit the manuscript through the normal submission process, and select the corresponding Special Issue in ‘General Information’ - ‘Selection/Category’ section.

Submission deadline: December 31, 2024

If you have any questions, please contact the editorial office of Forest Ecosystems: forestecosystems@bjfu.edu.cn.