In Europe, forest policy discussions are moving towards a European-Union-wide strategy. This will further strengthen the relations between the European countries in the field of forests and forest management. European-wide forest planning and decision-making require that policy-makers have insight in the long-term development of European forests under alternative regimes. The European Forest Information Scenario Model (EFISCEN) was used to make projections of the development of the European forests under four different scenarios. This book addresses the consequences of each scenario for wood production, biodiversity, and the environmental functions of the forest. The results provide policy-makers with a challenge of whether to intervene in the ongoing trend of build-up of growing stock and whether to choose between enhancing biodiversity, increasing the use of domestically produced wood products, or to combine them.
Acknowledgements
Executive Summary
INTRODUCTION
Forest resources and functions in Europe
Wood supply and demand issues
Conservation and biodiversity issues
Environment and carbon sequestration issues
Employment and rural development issues
AIM
INVENTORY DATA AND MODELLING APPROACHES
Input data
The age class area matrix approach
Diameter distribution based approach
Simple balance approach
SCENARIOS
Basic Assumptions made
Scenarios
COUNTRY LEVEL RESULTS
EUROPEAN SCALE RESULTS
European totals
Problems in finding desired fellings
Spatial distribution of the results
DISCUSSION
Uncertainties
Initial state; Basic assumptions related to simulations; Simulated results for increment and mortality; Model behaviour and validation
EUROPE’S FOREST RESOURCE POTENTIAL AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Summarizing the results
Forest resource development in socio-economic and policy context
Shaping the policy options for the future
What should we know to control the development?
References
This title will be of anyone working in the field of forest modelling and forest policy, in academia, industry and NGO’s.