Mapping Feasibility for Wood Supply: A High-Resolution Geospatial Approach to Enhance Sustainable Forest Management in Galicia (NW Spain)

Abstract

The forest value chain is key to the European transition to a climate-neutral economy. Sustainable forest management is essential for this task. To plan sustainable forest management, it is essential to track forest resources in relation to their feasibility for wood supply. This means considering the constraints that may limit the incorporation of these resources into the forest value chain. Maps adapted to specific regional constraints and to the characteristics of specific forests are essential for performing sustainable forest management at a local scale. This study presents a methodology for the integrated analysis of geospatial data focused on classifying the land and the forest resources of a region according to their feasibility for wood supply. It produces maps of the feasibility for wood supply in an area and of the existing forest resources at a 10 m spatial resolution. This was done by integrating information about the legal and technical constraints present in the area according to decision rules. The land was classified into three classes: favorable, intermediate or unfavorable. Additionally, updated forest-oriented land cover maps were produced to analyze the feasibility for wood supply of the forest resources present in the region. It was found that 42% of the Eucalyptus spp., 48% of the conifers and 30% of the broadleaves in the study area were located in favorable areas. These maps would help in the quest for more sustainable forest management in the region and aid in boosting the competitiveness of the regional forest value chain.