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Retention as an integrated biodiversity conservation approach for continuous-cover forestry in Europe.

Lena GustafssonJuergen BauhusThomas AsbeckAndrey Lessa Derci AugustynczikMarco BasileJulian FreyFabian GutzatMarc HanewinkelJan HelbachMarlotte JonkerAnna KnuffChristian MessierJohannes PennerPatrick PyttelAlbert ReifFelix StorchNathalie WinigerGeorg WinkelRasoul YousefpourIlse Storch
Published in: Ambio (2019)
Retention forestry implies that biological legacies like dead and living trees are deliberately selected and retained beyond harvesting cycles to benefit biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This model has been applied for several decades in even-aged, clearcutting (CC) systems but less so in uneven-aged, continuous-cover forestry (CCF). We provide an overview of retention in CCF in temperate regions of Europe, currently largely focused on habitat trees and dead wood. The relevance of current meta-analyses and many other studies on retention in CC is limited since they emphasize larger patches in open surroundings. Therefore, we reflect here on the ecological foundations and socio-economic frameworks of retention approaches in CCF, and highlight several areas with development potential for the future. Conclusions from this perspective paper, based on both research and current practice on several continents, although highlighting Europe, are also relevant to other temperate regions of the world using continuous-cover forest management approaches.
Keyphrases
  • climate change
  • meta analyses
  • human health
  • systematic review
  • primary care
  • healthcare
  • randomized controlled trial
  • current status