How to better consider sectoral planning information in regional planning: example afforestation and forest conversion

Abstract

This paper presents, by means of a case study, an approach for how to make use of sectoral planning information on forestry in regional planning. Exemplary issues addressed in this study were, first, how to evaluate the conversion of existing forests and, second, afforestation on agricultural sites, regarding the impact of these strategies on the provision of ecosystem services at a regional scale. We demonstrate that the conversion scenarios planned by the state forest administration have only a minor impact at the regional scale because the proportion of forests is too small. As a consequence, recommendations for regional planning were to: (a) considerably increase the planned afforestation areas under consideration of the locally suitable future forest ecosystem types; and (b) concentrate preference areas for afforestation along corridors, which augment, at most, the additional benefits provided by connecting the biotopes at the landscape level.