Study supported by the Forest Development Fund (agreement No. 26-00-S0MF01-000004)
In Europe, under the influence of ''green policy'', ideas about continuous cover forestry are being popularized, which would ensure sustainable forest management. The Association for Ecological Forestry Certification has developed a global forest standard (AEFC Global Forest Standart Version 2.0.1), which intended for continuous cover forestry. The Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava" has developed a forest resource modeling system, with the help of which it is possible to scientifically correctly and reliably model changes in forest resources under various forestry scenarios, including continuous cover forestry or selective felling forestry. This system also makes it possible to calculate forest values and changes in various ecosystem services under various forestry scenarios, including employment. Modeling such a continuous forest cover forestry scenario would allow assessing the long-term impact of such forestry on Latvia's forest resources and the forest sector.
According to the National Forest Monitoring data, there are 967 thousand ha of drained forests in Latvia. Most of the forests were drained by the 1980s. Forest drainage increases the productivity of stands by as much as 3–4 times. Since the restoration of Latvia's independence and the privatization of lands, some agricultural lands have been left uncultivated and gradually overgrown with trees, forming forests. In recent years, more and more low-yielding agricultural lands have been purposefully afforested with state support. It is useful to scientifically correctly calculate the impact of forest drainage and afforestation, or what forests would potentially exist if forest drainage and afforestation had not been carried out.
The aim of the Study is to scientifically assess the long-term impact of continuous forest cover forestry on Latvia's forest resources and the forest sector, as well as to scientifically assess the impact of historical forest drainage and afforestation on Latvia's forest resources.
Tasks of the Study:
- To assess the long-term impact of the possible implementation of the AEFC Global Forest Standart on forest resources;
- To assess the impact of historical (at least 40 years ago) forest drainage and afforestation on current Latvian forests;
- To assess the dynamics of adaptation indicators of commercial forests, the factors influencing them and to prepare recommendations for policy.