European Forests: Central to the World We Live in

EUROPEAN FORESTS: CENTRAL TO THE WORLD WE LIVE INForests are the most important and versatile ecological infrastructurein Europe. Today forests cover 35% of Europe's landscape,but this hasn't always been the case. In late medieval times there was hardly any forestdue to overgrazing and overcutting for timber and firewood,and decimation during centuries of wars. The subsequent shortage of woodled to the development of theories about sustainable forest managementin the early 18th century. Since then, the area of forested land in Europe has increased. There have still been shortages of wood,especially after World War Two,but countries have also invested in forest management. This has meant that over the last 20 yearsaround 800,000 new hectares of forest have been added each year. But forests still face risks. We can all remember the images of forest declinecaused by acid rain in the 1980s,when air pollution together with extreme weathercaused widespread forest die-back. The strong reduction in sulphate emissions since thenhas halted this decline. We also know that the 2003 drought affected forests,and that climate change will bring further challenges. Even a modest climate change of two degreeswill mean large summer temperature increasesof maybe seven or eight degrees,which will lead to further droughts in areas like the Mediterranean. These are enormous changes,which the present trees cannot cope with. It's possible that the species mix will changeand the type of forest we currently see in each particular areawill disappear. But why does that matter?Why do forests continue to be so important for each part of Europe,even in the 21st century?Let us take you on a tour around Europe and show you. We'll start off in the hottest spot -the Mediterranean. Mediterranean forests have a remarkable set of features. They contain more than 25,000 plant speciesand more than 300 indigenous trees. No wonder this regionis one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. The Mediterranean's mosaic of forest landscapesand outstanding biological richnesshelps to attract the millions of touristswho visit the region every year. But forests here are more valuable still. They contribute to the socioeconomic development of rural areasand poverty alleviation,the food security of society,and the preservation of multiple environmental services,all of which the international community considers globally important. Forest ecosystems also have a vitally important rolein preserving the two most important resources in the region -water and soil,the main limiting factors for life in the area. Human activity shaped our Mediterranean forest landscapes. They've demonstrated strong resilience to change for several millennia,despite their apparent fragility. But today's forests face a threat of unprecedented magnitude. The Mediterranean is one of the most sensitive regions in the worldto global climate changes. The last few decades have seen an increased number of forest fires,the advance of desertification,and changes in species distribution. We urgently need to develop adaptive management strategiesto cope with the drastic and rapid changes taking place. Heading north,central Europe has mostly temperate oceanic forests. These tend to have fast-growing tree species and plantations,and are important as a source of wood and fibre for industry. Large forest countries like France and Germanyproduce substantial amounts of wood -even more than countries like Finland or Sweden. The wood is high quality and high value,often combining hundreds of years of forest management experiencewith expert craftsmanship in its usage. But this area also contains Europe's highly urbanised societies,who intensely use the areas of forest near their homes for recreation. There, the relatively small forest coveris very important for human health. And the scattered pieces of woodland in the agricultural landscapeare also important for connectivity and biodiversity protection. Millions of small owners take care of these diverse pieces of forestand are responsible for meeting the multifunctional demands on their land. They see the importance of managing forests sustainably,by integrating forest managementwith rural development, amenity values,recreation, tourism and wellbeing. However, central European forest areas face risksfrom increases in populationand human impact on the environment,as well as significant natural hazardslike storms, fires, pests and pathogens. Storms, for example,cause 50% of all catastrophic damage to European forests,with an average of two destructive storms each year. Storms can have a major impact on timber prices in the short termand, longer-term, can affect timber availabilityas well as water quality,carbon sequestrationand biodiversity. Further north still,northern Europe is home to boreal forests,which are dominated by spruce and pine. There is heavy rainfall compared to the amount of evaporation,and as a result forests overgrow if they are not managed. The forest in this region is central to the landscape,mostly family-owned and intensively usedas a source of raw material for industry. But this area is also a good example of how non-wood products,such as berries, mushrooms, lichen and game,can be an important source of income. Forest tourism is also becoming more and more important. Here wood is a major source of energy,helping to significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissionsfrom the production and combustion of fossil fuels. While 3. 7% of European energy use is forest-based,in northern Europe it's much higher -around 20% in Finland, for example. Forests have become an important sourceof alternative renewable energy and biomass production. Forest woodchips and other bioenergy materialscan power energy plants, for example,while, on a more domestic scale,wood pellets can provide central heating for homes. Bioenergy usage has risen dramatically during the last two decades,and current European-wide targets for renewable energyaim to increase production even more. The challenge for us, of course,is to sustainably manage forests and maintain their biodiversitywhile supplying more wood to contribute to this emerging green economy. We also face competition between the rise in local usage of wood for biomassand changing needs for industrial products,for example the requirements for timber to come from forestsdemonstrably managed for sustainability. Heading south and east we find the countries of eastern Europe,which are home to temperate continental forestswith a diverse range of trees. The countries in this area have seen huge changes over the last few decadesas they've restructured their economic and social systems. State-owned forests have returned to private ownership in many countries,creating new types of family forest owners. In the European part of Russiathere are huge primary forest resources. This area's forests, together with those in the rest of Europe,act as a carbon sink,removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it. This process is known as carbon sequestration. It's a vital part of climate change mitigation,and forests need to be managed sustainably with this in mind. This carbon storage is then also carried through into wood products,where the carbon remains for another 20-30 years. European countries are developing criteria and indicatorsfor sustainable management,which will help to meet the challengeof balancing these demands with forests' many other uses. European forests are part of a wider global discussion,and we need to develop common strategies, forums and policy processesto respond to these challenges. Strategic forest policy deliberations are in progress. For example, ministers responsible for forestsdecided at the Oslo Forest Europe summitto launch a negotiating processtowards a legally binding agreement on pan-European forests. At the same time the EU is developing a new forest strategyto address future challenges. Forests are the most important and versatile ecological infrastructurein Europe. They host an important share of biodiversityand provide products and services which support the resilience of rural areasand the wellbeing of urban ones. We shouldn't forget that they also provide resourcesfor a highly competitive and bio-based industrywhich has the opportunity to become a model in the context of the bio-economy,delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Most importantly, forests are keyfor the adaptability of our continent to accelerating global changes. We need to work togetherto overcome the urgent challenges and threats from climate change,and connect research and policymakersto ensure that our forestsremain the jewel in the crown of Europe's environment. Subtitles by internetsubtitling. com