Scientists have discovered that it’s possible to conserve the biodiversity of European forests even while harvesting timber—it’s enough to increase the proportion of untouched areas and improve forest management practices. A new study proposes the “Triad” system as a balance between economics and ecology.
An international team of researchers from the Universities of Göttingen (Germany) and Jyväskylä (Finland) presented the results of a large-scale study that showed how balanced forest use can preserve biodiversity in European beech forests.
The scientists studied the effectiveness of the so-called “Triad” system, which involves dividing forest territories into three zones:
- Intensively managed forests for timber production;
- Unmanaged areas for ecosystem conservation;
- Extensively managed forests, where timber extraction is combined with maintaining biodiversity.
Based on data collected in France, Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic, the researchers created “virtual forest landscapes.” The analysis showed that the greatest species richness is observed in landscapes where 60% of the area is occupied by unmanaged forests and 40% by intensively managed forests. Complete intensive management, however, leads to a significant loss of biodiversity.
However, the authors note that maintaining such a high percentage of untouched forests in Europe is unrealistic due to the high demand for timber. Therefore, they suggest improving extensive management practices by retaining old trees, preserving deadwood, and creating a mosaic structure within the forests.
“Our results show that it is possible to combine timber harvesting and biodiversity conservation. The key is not to simplify forest ecosystems, but to maintain their diversity,” emphasized Dr. Peter Schall from the University of Göttingen.
The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
