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Abrupt increase in harvested forest area over Europe after 2015

Author

Listed:
  • Guido Ceccherini

    (Bio-Economy Unit, European Commission Joint Research Centre)

  • Gregory Duveiller

    (Bio-Economy Unit, European Commission Joint Research Centre)

  • Giacomo Grassi

    (Bio-Economy Unit, European Commission Joint Research Centre)

  • Guido Lemoine

    (Food Security Unit, European Commission Joint Research Centre)

  • Valerio Avitabile

    (Bio-Economy Unit, European Commission Joint Research Centre)

  • Roberto Pilli

    (Bio-Economy Unit, European Commission Joint Research Centre)

  • Alessandro Cescatti

    (Bio-Economy Unit, European Commission Joint Research Centre)

Abstract

Forests provide a series of ecosystem services that are crucial to our society. In the European Union (EU), forests account for approximately 38% of the total land surface1. These forests are important carbon sinks, and their conservation efforts are vital for the EU’s vision of achieving climate neutrality by 20502. However, the increasing demand for forest services and products, driven by the bioeconomy, poses challenges for sustainable forest management. Here we use fine-scale satellite data to observe an increase in the harvested forest area (49 per cent) and an increase in biomass loss (69 per cent) over Europe for the period of 2016–2018 relative to 2011–2015, with large losses occurring on the Iberian Peninsula and in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Satellite imagery further reveals that the average patch size of harvested area increased by 34 per cent across Europe, with potential effects on biodiversity, soil erosion and water regulation. The increase in the rate of forest harvest is the result of the recent expansion of wood markets, as suggested by econometric indicators on forestry, wood-based bioenergy and international trade. If such a high rate of forest harvest continues, the post-2020 EU vision of forest-based climate mitigation may be hampered, and the additional carbon losses from forests would require extra emission reductions in other sectors in order to reach climate neutrality by 20503.

Suggested Citation

  • Guido Ceccherini & Gregory Duveiller & Giacomo Grassi & Guido Lemoine & Valerio Avitabile & Roberto Pilli & Alessandro Cescatti, 2020. "Abrupt increase in harvested forest area over Europe after 2015," Nature, Nature, vol. 583(7814), pages 72-77, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:583:y:2020:i:7814:d:10.1038_s41586-020-2438-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2438-y
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Per Angelstam & Michael Manton, 2021. "Effects of Forestry Intensification and Conservation on Green Infrastructures: A Spatio-Temporal Evaluation in Sweden," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-29, May.
    2. Margarida Casau & Diana C. M. Cancela & João C. O. Matias & Marta Ferreira Dias & Leonel J. R. Nunes, 2021. "Coal to Biomass Conversion as a Path to Sustainability: A Hypothetical Scenario at Pego Power Plant (Abrantes, Portugal)," Resources, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-20, August.
    3. Glasenapp, S. & Fonseca, M. & Weimar, H. & Döring, P. & Aguilar, F.X., 2021. "Conversion factors for residential wood energy in the European Union: an introduction to harmonizing units of measurement," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    4. David Lindenmayer & Chris Taylor, 2022. "Diversifying Forest Landscape Management—A Case Study of a Shift from Native Forest Logging to Plantations in Australian Wet Forests," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, March.
    5. Henri Järv & Raymond D. Ward & Janar Raet & Kalev Sepp, 2021. "Socio-Economic Effects of National Park Governance and Management: Lessons from Post-Socialist Era Estonia," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-34, November.
    6. Mann, Carsten & Loft, Lasse & Hernández-Morcillo, Mónica, 2021. "Assessing forest governance innovations in Europe: Needs, challenges and ways forward for sustainable forest ecosystem service provision," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
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    8. de Castro-Pardo, Mónica & Martín Martín, José María & Azevedo, João C., 2022. "A new composite indicator to assess and monitor performance and drawbacks of the implementation of Aichi Biodiversity Targets," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    9. Jessica Stubenrauch & Beatrice Garske & Felix Ekardt & Katharina Hagemann, 2022. "European Forest Governance: Status Quo and Optimising Options with Regard to the Paris Climate Target," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-35, April.
    10. Radu Lucian Pânzaru & Daniela Firoiu & George H. Ionescu & Andi Ciobanu & Dragoș Mihai Medelete & Ramona Pîrvu, 2023. "Organic Agriculture in the Context of 2030 Agenda Implementation in European Union Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-31, July.
    11. Xue Wei & Chen Liang & Wenhui Chen, 2022. "Exploring Current Status and Evolutionary Trends on the Paid Use of State-Owned Forest Resources in China: A Bibliometric Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-23, May.
    12. Gintautas Mozgeris & Vaiva Kazanavičiūtė & Daiva Juknelienė, 2021. "Does Aiming for Long-Term Non-Decreasing Flow of Timber Secure Carbon Accumulation: A Lithuanian Forestry Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-24, March.
    13. Loft, Lasse & Schleyer, Christian & Klingler, Michael & Kister, Jutta & Zoll, Felix & Stegmaier, Peter & Aukes, Ewert & Sorge, Stefan & Mann, Carsten, 2022. "The development of governance innovations for the sustainable provision of forest ecosystem services in Europe: A comparative analysis of four pilot innovation processes," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    14. Filewod, Ben, 2024. "What can we learn from industry-level (aggregate) production functions?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 122388, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    15. Malkamäki, Arttu & Korhonen, Jaana E. & Berghäll, Sami & Berg Rustas, Carolina & Bernö, Hanna & Carreira, Ariane & D'Amato, Dalia & Dobrovolsky, Alexander & Giertliová, Blanka & Holmgren, Sara & Mark-, 2022. "Public perceptions of using forests to fuel the European bioeconomy: Findings from eight university cities," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    16. Vincent Egenolf & Gibran Vita & Martin Distelkamp & Franziska Schier & Rebekka Hüfner & Stefan Bringezu, 2021. "The Timber Footprint of the German Bioeconomy—State of the Art and Past Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-19, April.
    17. Mager, Elena & Iurato, Chiara & Schanz, Heiner, 2023. "Depicting wood-based sectors to inform policymaking: A structural modeling approach centering on networks of markets," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    18. Gardumi, F. & Keppo, I. & Howells, M. & Pye, S. & Avgerinopoulos, G. & Lekavičius, V. & Galinis, A. & Martišauskas, L. & Fahl, U. & Korkmaz, P. & Schmid, D. & Montenegro, R. Cunha & Syri, S. & Hast, A, 2022. "Carrying out a multi-model integrated assessment of European energy transition pathways: Challenges and benefits," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    19. Holtmann, Anne & Huth, Andreas & Bohn, Friedrich & Fischer, Rico, 2024. "Assessing the impact of multi-year droughts on German forests in the context of increased tree mortality," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 492(C).
    20. Irina Georgescu & Jani Kinnunen & Ionuț Nica, 2024. "Assessing Forest Conservation for Finland: An ARDL-Based Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-21, January.
    21. Stubenrauch, Jessica & Garske, Beatrice, 2023. "Forest protection in the EU's renewable energy directive and nature conservation legislation in light of the climate and biodiversity crisis – Identifying legal shortcomings and solutions," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    22. Zeug, Walther & Bezama, Alberto & Thrän, Daniela, 2020. "Towards a holistic and integrated Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of the bioeconomy: Background on concepts, visions and measurements," UFZ Discussion Papers 7/2020, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Division of Social Sciences (ÖKUS).
    23. Galimshina, Alina & Moustapha, Maliki & Hollberg, Alexander & Padey, Pierryves & Lasvaux, Sébastien & Sudret, Bruno & Habert, Guillaume, 2022. "Bio-based materials as a robust solution for building renovation: A case study," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 316(C).
    24. Katharine Heyl & Felix Ekardt & Paula Roos & Jessica Stubenrauch & Beatrice Garske, 2021. "Free Trade, Environment, Agriculture, and Plurilateral Treaties: The Ambivalent Example of Mercosur, CETA, and the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-24, March.

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