A crucial dimension of the research undertaken in ForestPaths is mapping the effects of different types of forest management on biodiversity. The intricacies of this process were laid out in a recent interview with Hanneke van ‘t Veen, researcher at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and ForestPaths partner. The conversation took place during the project’s annual consortium meeting in September 2024. 

The interview itself is preceded by an introduction of the problem of biodiversity loss and why more biodiversity-friendly management of forests is essential to mitigate this loss. With this in mind, ForestPaths researchers have set out to determine the effects of various forest management styles on biodiversity in Europe and beyond using existing databases and a meta-analysis. 

More specifically, three global biodiversity databases were expanded with information on different forest management types, allowing for a statistical analysis of their effects on biodiversity. In total, seven forest management types were singled out at the global level for which biodiversity estimates were derived: 

• Forest plantations 

• Clear-cutting and regrowth 

• Selective cutting 

• Reduced-impact logging 

• Agroforestry 

• Perennial tree crop plantation 

• Silvopasture 

Ms. van ‘t Veen found limited biodiversity data for the European continent in the databases. Therefore, she decided to conduct an additional meta-analysis on the effects of forest management on biodiversity in Europe. During this meta-analysis, data was found on three of the seven categories seen at the global level, namely clear-cutting and regrowth, forest plantations and selective cutting. Additionally, data was found for retention tree management, which is common in Europe. The biodiversity estimates at global and European scale will be introduced in models, such as CRAFTY, to simulate effects of forest management on biodiversity over space and time.  

The results of this research indicate that, at the global level, the effects of the different types of forest management on biodiversity can vary greatly, meaning that some are decidedly more biodiversity-friendly than others. In Europe, however, the effects of different types of forest management on biodiversity are similar. This indicates the need to introduce more biodiversity-friendly forest management types in Europe, inspiration for which may come from forest management in other parts of the world. The outcome of this research can be used by policymakers to develop new forestry policies, regulations and standards to foster transitions to forest management that mitigates biodiversity loss in Europe and globally.  

You can access the full interview below. More information on the models underpinning ForestPaths’ research can be found here.