Abstract
Retention forestry implies that biological legacies like dead and living trees are deliberately selected and retained beyond harvesting cycles to benefit biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This model has been applied for several decades in even-aged, clearcutting (CC) systems but less so in uneven-aged, continuous-cover forestry (CCF). We provide an overview of retention in CCF in temperate regions of Europe, currently largely focused on habitat trees and dead wood. The relevance of current meta-analyses and many other studies on retention in CC is limited since they emphasize larger patches in open surroundings. Therefore, we reflect here on the ecological foundations and socio-economic frameworks of retention approaches in CCF, and highlight several areas with development potential for the future. Conclusions from this perspective paper, based on both research and current practice on several continents, although highlighting Europe, are also relevant to other temperate regions of the world using continuous-cover forest management approaches.
Highlights
Forests are the dominant vegetation form globally, and play a key role in conserving biodiversity as well as safeguarding ecosystem services (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005)
We focus our overview on Europe since implementation of continuous-cover forestry (CCF) in this region is widespread, and retention approaches have been introduced into forest management in several countries, especially in Central Europe (Kraus and Krumm 2013)
Retention approaches can be integrated into all types of forests and silvicultural systems (Lindenmayer et al 2012), and the three main objectives identified for retention forestry employing CC are valid for CCF: (1) safeguarding a continuity of structures, functions and composition, (2) increasing structural complexity, and (3) maintaining connectivity in the landscape (Franklin et al 1997)
Summary
Forests are the dominant vegetation form globally, and play a key role in conserving biodiversity as well as safeguarding ecosystem services (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005). Keywords Biodiversity Á Habitat tree Á Retention forestry Á Temperate forests Á Uneven-aged management A forest management approach based on the long-term retention of structures and organisms, such as living and/or dead trees as well as small areas of intact forest, at the time of harvest.
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