Close to nature forestry
Close to nature forestry is a management approach treating forest as an ecological system (ecosystem) performing multiple functions. It is developing in the peri-alpine coutries of Europe (such as Schwitzerland, France, Germany and Slovenia) for more than 70 years, based on certain sustainable forest management practices from the late 19th century. Close to nature silviculture tries to achieve the management objectives with minimum necessary human intervention aimed at accelerating the processes that nature would do by itself more slowly. It works with natural populations of trees, ongoing processes and existing structures using cognitive approach, as in the case of so called (individual or group) selection forest (German: Plenterwald) or other types of uneven-aged forests. Its theory and practice takes forest as a self regulating ecosystem and manages it as such.
It aims at overcoming the divorce between forester and ecologist. As an important consequence, it concludes that if properly applied, it would render the segregation of forest lands into "productive" and "protected" unnecessary.[1]
History
Europe
The Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Naturgemässe Waldwirtschaft (ANW) (
Because of a 1948 forest law,[1] Slovenia has many forests managed according to the principles of close to nature forestry. In 1989 ANW promoted a meeting at Robanov Kot in Slovenia, in the Julian Alps, and the Pro Silva organization was created, with representatives of 10 countries. At present the organization headquarters are in the French region of Alsace.[1]
North America
In the United States, professor Thomas J. McEvoy has published the book Positive Impact Forestry,[3] which recommends forestry practices similar to those of the "close to nature" movement. He thinks that the precursors of this type of forestry are to be found in Europe, mainly in Germany, and particularly makes mention of Heinrich Cotta, and his famous Cotta's Preface,[4] which highlighted the importance that the study and understanding of nature should have for the foresters. As a more immediate precursor he makes reference to American forester and ecologist Aldo Leopold.
The Ecoforestry Institute consists on educational, non profit and non governmental organizations operating in US and Canada. They propose a forestry based on ecological principles, very similar to those of Pro Silva.[5]
Forest management/ecosystem management
The close to nature approach intends to bridge the discrepancies, or even antagonisms between the silvicultural and ecological visions on the single reality of forest, considering the forest as an
Objective
The management has to obtain healthy and stable forest systems that produce wood with a minimum human intervention. The products to obtain, other than wood, are fauna habitats, biodiversity, recreational, aesthetics, and water management. The human action has the object of accelerating natural processes, but not substitute them.[1]
Silvicultural models
Pro Silva recommends to use the uneven-aged forest system, in which the ages, and consequently sizes, of trees in a forest are different. It has the advantage to offer a stable structure regarding natural disasters and plagues, and is very adequate for fauna
McEvoy considers that in spite of being the most close to nature system, it is difficult to implement, and proposes to use the high regular forest model, in which all trees are of the same age/size, but recommends using a
The Ecoforestry Institute, similarly to Pro Silva, recommends multi-aged and multi-species forests.
Recommended practices
Proposed thinning frequency is about ten years, and intensity low, in order to limit the ingress of excessive light, which could promote too much understory, or the growing of epicormic shoots. It has to be directed to favor the trees that show good prospect for the future. The operations have to be done in a way that will avoid soil compaction or damage to the trees that will remain standing.[6]
Native/introduced species
When foresters
From the ecological point of view, the introducing species is considered as a threat. The introduced species risks being invasive. Invasives displace local species, resulting in a reduction of biodiversity, a condition also to be expected if great extensions are forested using introduced species.
McEvoy[3] is very clear and strict: introduced species can not be used at all when working in a close to nature forestry system. Pro Silva makes some distinctions, based on species and conditions.[1] Natural forest systems are to be preserved, but the enrichment with certain introduced species may be positive, depending on circumstances.
Pro Silva recommendations[7]
- The natural vegetation systems for each region are an asset to maintain, and constitute an important basis for the silvicultural planning.
- Introduced species can, depending on circumstances, supplement natural species, and add economical revenue.
- The forest species that are introduced to a region are termed exotic.
- The introduction of exotic species should only be permitted after trials conducted from the qualitative and quantitative point of view.
Herbivore fauna management
The
Economic aspects
Forestry's economic profitability has progressively diminished in developed countries, beginning at the end of the 20th century. This has been the result of lower lumber prices and higher operating costs. Because it requires less human intervention, the close to nature forestry has lower labor costs.[1] Also, it encourages the evolution of forests toward higher ecologic and landscape value structures. This is in demand by society, and the payment for ecosystem services is being considered
Social and community aspects
Social and community aspects entail the management of the forestry block with the minimum disturbance caused from outside. This is important as nature forestry is taking place not in complete isolation from human activities and animals grazing/browsing but within the same landscape where communities are present. The people around should be well-integrated into the forest lot in order to ensure its
Close to nature forestry/sustainable forestry
Sustainable forest management has evolved to include multifunctional management, like close to nature forestry does. Nevertheless there is a distinction between them since the first seeks a compromise between competing interests, while close to nature forestry uses biodiversity improvement as a tool to improve forestry itself.[8][1]
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 978-2744905537.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Helliwell, R.; E. R. Wilson (2012). "Continuous cover forestry in Britain: challenges and opportunities". Quarterly Journal of Forestry. 106 (3): 214–224.
- ^ ISBN 9781559637893.
- ^ The Forest History Society. "Cotta's Preface" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "Pro Silva » Integrated forest management for resilience and sustainability across 25 countries". Pro Silva. 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
- ^ The damage to the standing trees may be reduced if the works are done during the period of low biological activity, fall and winter.
- ^ "The question of non-indigenous forestspecies". ProSilva. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
- ^ Malawi Principles Archived 23 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine