Which silvicultural measures are recommended to adapt forests to climate change? A literature review

Abstract

Climate change is a challenge for forest managers and owners. The trees regenerated in forest stands today will have to cope with changing conditions during their lifetime. Adaptive forest management includes a large variety of silvicultural measures: changes in species composition by converting monocultures to mixed forests, changes in forest structure, intensified thinning, or the reduction of rotation time. The aim of this review is to highlight the silvicultural measures and practices that have been recommended for adaptation to climate change, and to apply Bolte's classification of adaptation strategies in order to identify which type of strategy is recommended in the literature. The literature review shows that active adaptation strategy tends to dominate as compared with passive adaptation or forest conservation measures. On the other hand, active adaptation with intensified thinning, shorter rotation periods, and change in the forest structure presents the risk of being rejected by a part of society for which climate change adaption should be a natural process. In addition, the current policy framework may limit the freedom of active adaptation measures.