Issues and solutions for intensive plantation silviculture in a context of ecosystem management

Abstract

Forest plantations are recognized as a silvicultural tool for ensuring a timber supply that meets public expectations regarding sustainable forest management. However, they are also part of the silvicultural scenario that shows the greatest potential for the artificialization of natural forests. From a firsthand perspective, intensive plantation silviculture objectives may appear antagonistic to those of ecosystem management. Here we describe the process through which we defined and documented plantation issues, then propose potential solutions to allow the integration of intensive plantation silviculture into ecosystem management. We identify issues related to the scale, localization and spatial arrangement of plantations, the key attributes and resilience of natural forests, social acceptability, and the productivity and profitability of plantations. We also propose potential solutions likely to help manage plantations within a context of ecosystem management. These include modulating silvicultural treatments to enhance the naturalness of plantations, conducting treatments to obtain expected production rates, and ensuring that plantations are deployed across the landscape in a manner that integrates stakeholder concerns and considers the naturalness of the forest matrix.