More sustainable forest management

Description:

Policies for a more sustainable forest management focus on harvesting in a way that the harvest does not exceed regrowth, in order to maintain the long-term harvest potential. Plus it should maintain the ecological status of forests, e.g. the nutrient balance and biodiversity. This can be achieved in the model by (i) limiting the return period (returning only when forest is fully regrown); (ii) using only certain fractions of the harvested biomass and leave the remaining part in the forests.

Is implemented in:

Forest management

Associated policy response component

Component: Land and biodiversity policies
Page: Land and biodiversity policies/Forestry sector

Effects of this policy intervention on components

Component: Forest management
Effect : Sustainable forest management has an effect on the forest management throughout the world (like the clear logging extent). Because the timber demand is not affected, more sustainable forest management might lead to more forests used.

Component: Natural vegetation and carbon cycle
Effect : Sustainable forest management has a clear effect on the extent of the terrestrial biomass pools (in vegetation and soil), and the terrestrial CO2 uptake by the forests (as degradation is avoided).