A new book summarizes the latest research on continuous cover forestry in boreal coniferous forests. The book is openly accessible to anyone interested in more knowledge about alternatives to clear-cutting.
In a world where forests are expected to contribute in increasingly diverse ways – whether as habitats for many species of fungi, insects, birds, and mammals, timber for wood processing, photosynthesis for carbon capture, or as recreational and hunting areas – it is becoming increasingly clear that there is a need for new thinking and good alternatives to current management practices in many places and for many reasons.
"Although it is not possible to provide a complete picture of all aspects of continuous cover forestry, this book shows that it is possible to use existing methodological knowledge to start with continuous cover forestry in our Nordic forests today," says forest researcher and professor at NMBU, Andreas Brunner, one of the authors behind the new book.
Forest researchers and experts in forest management in Norway, Sweden, and Finland have explored the topic of continuous cover forestry, considering aspects such as regeneration, genetic effects, timber production, and not least, biological diversity.
"The book is an important source of knowledge – both for researchers, management, and forest owners who want to stay updated on continuous cover forestry," says Brunner.
Great Interest in Continuous Cover Forestry
"There is now a very high interest among forest owners and forest managers in continuous cover forestry," says the NMBU professor.
Together with 85 Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish forest researcher colleagues, Brunner has participated in the work of gathering documentation on how alternative harvesting methods to clear-cutting will affect future forestry.
"The boreal coniferous forest in the three countries has similar ecological conditions, and the knowledge about the forest and the various harvesting methods can therefore be easily transferred," says Brunner.
The result is now available in over 300 pages in the book "Continuous Cover Forestry in Boreal Nordic Countries," published by Springer. The book is open access and freely available to all interested.
Read more about the book and download it here