Abstract

Sustainable forest management (SFM) has been challenging in the Carpathian Mountain region of Europe. We explore emerging models and inno-vative practices that offer guidance on implementing SFM, based on recommen-dations developed through a scientific atelier held in western Ukraine. Information was gathered through technical presentations, site visits, unstructured interviews with stakeholders, and literature review. The contribution of SFM to biodiversity conservation depends on the establishment of fully representative and sufficiently extensive reserve systems. On managed forestlands, providing a better balance of stand ages and recently developed silvicultural practices, such as ‘‘close to-nature’’ and disturbance-based forestry, will help maintain ecosystem functions while providing a range of economic uses. Restoration of native species composition in areas dominated by spruce plantations will both enhance forest health and promote biodiversity conservation. Broader use of contemporary watershed management approaches is recommended, including delineation of riparian buffers, riparian forest restoration, ecologically informed design of transportation infrastructure, and investment in modernized harvesting machinery. Expanding forest sector participation in forest certification and carbon markets offer new opportunities and challenges. Certification of forestlands is expanding but has been limited by non-conformities. Ukrainian afforestation goals have the potential to sequester large quantities of carbon and generate substantial economic benefits as international carbon markets develop. The relatively long rotations currently required under Ukrainian forest code offer significant carbon storage benefits, as would conser-vation of high biomass, old-growth Carpathian beech and spruce–fir forests. A variety of stresses are predicted to increase with climate change, requiring adaptive responses. The challenge facing Ukraine and other Carpathian nations is to merge these ideas into a holistic, landscape approach adapted to the context of transitional, post-socialist economies.

Published in

Environmental Science and Engineering
2013, pages: 331-352
Book title: The Carpathians: Integrating nature and society towards sustainability, Springer.
ISBN: 978-3-642-12724-3
Publisher: Springer

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