Forest fit for future

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

In Europe, 25 million ha of forest is managed as plantations with timber production as the main goal, promoting conifers in even-aged monocultures with large standing timber volumes. However, this seemingly efficient way of producing timber may lead to sub-optimisation of environmental, social, and economical goals. For this reason, Close to Nature Forestry (CNF) practices have been introduced, to increase adaptability/resilience through species mixtures and structural variation. However, the shift towards CNF has taken place only on a small scale and mainly in State forests. Appropriate planning tools for management are missing, and due to the long-term nature of forest production (50-100 years in northern Europe), economic effects on land value, cash flow, and rate of return are not documented, nor are effects on ecosystem services. For a large group of professional foresters and forest owners this makes CNF a less realistic and attractive alternative compared to traditional forestry plantations.

OBJECTIVES

The LIFEFORFIT project strategy is to develop tools, models, and manuals to reduce barriers for Close to Nature Forestry (CNF)-implementation, combined with the large-scale demonstration, testing, and dissemination of CNF practices. The project beneficiaries will work on approximately 220 locations in 85 forests covering an area of around 4 850 ha, delivering relevant planning and management tools in collaboration with a large and diverse group of stakeholders and partners.

The project will specifically seek to:

Develop, demonstrate and promote the conversion of traditional even-aged, single species conifer stands into CNF in forests owned by the Danish Nature Agency and Schleswig-Holstein State Forests in Germany;

Contribute to implementing the CNF principles in the private forestry sector on a larger scale by providing the knowledge lacking on planning, economy, and stand management in the conversion phase;

Build capacity, share best practice, increase and update knowledge, and experience as well as awareness in CNF principles andpractice amongst the main stakeholders, i.e. private forest owners and forest staff, NGOs, the general public, and educational institutions to ensure replicability and transferability;

Establish the baseline and framework (including a network of demonstration plots) for future long-term monitoring of growth/yield/health/biodiversity and carbon-storage in conifer forests managed according to CNF principles;

Provide recommendations on CNF as a method to improve economic and environmental sustainability of conifer forests;

Develop new support schemes on CNF management and afforestation.

 

The project contributes to a range of EU policy goals, including the EU Forest Strategy as CNF supports the balanced multifunctional roles of forests; and EU Biodiversity Strategy targets relating to halting the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services (e.g. timber and wood products, carbon storage and climate control, and recreation and ecotourism services), achieving more sustainable forestry, and combatting invasive alien species.

RESULTS

Expected results:

Economical potential: increased land value from conversion to CNF in Denmark is estimated at 1 000-6 000 /ha. At a conversion rate of 1 300 ha/year in Denmark after the project, the value is estimated at 1.3 -7.8 million a year, the full potential in Denmarks conifer area (270 000 ha) is 0.7-1.6 billion.

In the field: 3 900 ha of conifer forest converted in Denmark, affecting 23% of the conifer-area scheduled for regeneration in the project period, and 270 ha in Germany. Improved quality in over 600 70 ha-young stands in both countries. 85 ha of forest established as demonstration sites for CNF afforestation. 30 long-term-plots (>50 years) established.

Expanding CNF to the private forest sector: Forest consulting companies have developed consulting packages on CNF, and these are on the market. Demonstration areas established on 20-25 private owners totalling about 780 ha.

Knowledge base: Catalogue on improved methods, costs, and revenues describing best CNF practices in regeneration, species regulation, thinning regimes, afforestation, game management, and quality management is available. Forest planning systems and concepts are developed to accommodate CNF and indicators on biodiversity/carbon and are applied in practice in model plans on three private estates.

Capacity building: Forest consultants acquire the tools to deliver professional consultancy services on CNF. 100 forest officers, 150 forest owners, 30 forest entrepreneurs, 45 forest guards, and 80 forest consultants informed at seminars/meetings. 130 forestry students, 400 youngster and 7 NGOs directly exposed. For the public, a communication strategy is set up with the target of 75 000 persons reached.

Subsidy schemes: In Denmark, a subsidy scheme for conversion of plantation to CNF, and for the existing afforestation support scheme a supplement on high-yielding CNF.

Long term: 30 permanent plots established to quantify long-term wood production, habitat creation, biodiversity development, and carbon sequestration and storage in CNF. Data will supply new parameters into the EU forestry database (FISE) and qualify the EU forest strategy.

Ecosystem services: Knowledge on the effect of CNF on habitats, biodiversity and carbon in the short term collected and disseminated, and the basis for monitoring in the long term is laid out. Biodiversity and carbon stock indicators are developed into tools, allowing integration of ecosystem services into business decision making. Tools are applied in three private forest district plans.

Afforestation: At the present rate, 3 176 ha/year in Denmark, the potential increase in carbon-sequestration from converting to high-yielding CNF forest is estimated at up to 35 000 ton CO2-eq./yr.

Pesticide: The potential reduction in forest-pesticides in Denmark from substituting nursery plants with natural seeding is 1-2 ton active substance/year. A new biocide is tested.