Maximising ecosystem service delivery in modern forestry

Abstract

Around a third of global forest cover is managed for timber production (1), yet modern forestry faces a plethora of challenges. Climate change, disease and increasing recreational pressures are among the threats and issues requiring radical changes in the management of many commercial forests. To ensure a viable future for these forests, it is essential to balance the economic needs of forestry with the maintenance of resilient and functioning ecosystems. Additionally, when managed carefully, woodland and forest environments have the potential to deliver a great variety of other ecosystem services, such as non-timber forest products, water regulation, soil quality, recreation and heritage, alongside nature conservation and the maintenance of biodiversity (2). Decision makers need information on how land management affects different ecosystem services, in order to implement evidence-based management that maximises efficient delivery of ecosystem services in addition to biodiversity benefits.

Different forest management options invariably lead to trade-offs between different ecosystem services. For example, a spruce monoculture may deliver high timber production but low recreational benefit, whereas a mixed broadleaf forest may yield less timber but support high levels of biodiversity. This talk presents results from a UK case study of a production forest (Thetford Forest, East Anglia), working in close collaboration with forest managers and stakeholders to identify the range of viable future management scenarios, including management options targeted for conservation benefits. The delivery of a comprehensive suite of ecosystem services has been quantified for these management options to give a detailed analysis of trade-offs and synergies. The talk discusses the implications of this analysis in guiding future forest management, presenting an assessment of how trade-offs can be reconciled to maximise the delivery of ecosystem services and to inform evidence-based decision-making.

(1) FAO (2016) How are the world’s forests changing? Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015. Second Edition. (2) Quine, C., et al. (2011) Woodlands. In: The UK National Ecosystem Assessment Technical Report. UK National Ecosystem Assessment, UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge.