Forest Ecology and Management最新文献

{"title":"Forest structure outweighs climatic and edaphic controls of primary productivity in Quercus mongolica forests in Northern China","authors":"Wen Nie ,&nbsp;Qi Wang ,&nbsp;Yipei Zhao ,&nbsp;Ruizhi Huang ,&nbsp;Shaowei Yang ,&nbsp;Xiangfen Cheng ,&nbsp;Dexiang Chen ,&nbsp;Wenfa Xiao ,&nbsp;Jianfeng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123137","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123137","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forest structural attributes such as density, size, and age are important determinants of productivity; however, whether and how this relationship changes across a wide geographic range with varying climate and soil conditions requires validation. <em>Quercus mongolica-</em>dominated forests are widespread in Northern China; however, the spatial characteristics and mechanisms underlying their productivity remain poorly understood. We integrated tree-ring data with field plots from 17 sites and 47 plots spanning approximately 15.5° latitude and 25.0° longitude to evaluate the relative importance of climatic, edaphic, and forest structural factors (forest density, age, and tree size) on the forest productivity. Allometric equations were used to convert diameter growth into estimates of aboveground and belowground net primary productivity (ANPP and BNPP, respectively). Fixed-effect regression and structural equation modeling were used to assess the effects of forest structure and environmental variables on ANPP and BNPP. The sampled forest density ranged from 375 to 1700 trees ha⁻¹, age varied from 10 to 197 years, and diameter at breast height (DBH) ranged from 5.0 to 63.3 cm. ANPP ranged from 2.1 to 7.4 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, whereas BNPP ranged from 0.2 to 2.4 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Forest density and maximum DBH emerged as the strongest positive predictors of ANPP and BNPP, whereas age was a significant negative predictor. The structural equation model showed that climatic and soil variables only indirectly affected BNPP through their effects on forest structure. This study highlights the need to consider forest age, in addition to density and tree size, to estimate primary productivity across a wide geographic range.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"597 ","pages":"Article 123137"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mitigating bark beetle damage in Norway spruce stands: Insights from Belgium's latest outbreak","authors":"Arthur Gilles,&nbsp;Jonathan Lisein,&nbsp;Nicolas Latte,&nbsp;Hugues Claessens","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123136","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123136","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>For several years, Europe has witnessed a significant dieback of diverse forest tree species, and the Norway spruce, a common species across the continent, is no exception. The combination of drought events and bark beetle infestations appears to play a significant role in these widespread diebacks, raising concerns about the future viability of this species in some regions.</div><div>The Ardenne, located in southern Belgium where spruce is not native, has also experienced significant dieback during the 2017–2022 period. An analysis of the drivers related to spruce bark beetle attacks was performed to better anticipate probable future significant spruce dieback. The available cartographic data describing potential climatic, growth-condition and management drivers influencing these diebacks have been gathered using GIS tools (Geographic Information Systems) and linked with the Norway spruce health map that have been produced using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery from our previous research, helping to identify affected areas. Lidar flights conducted prior to the outbreak provide detailed descriptions of the forest stands. All our analysis were conducted with a huge quantity of cartographic and remote sensing data covering the entire Belgian spruce forest (120,000 ha).</div><div>A random forest analysis followed by a profile model assessment, was employed to pinpoint the key drivers contributing to dieback. Statistical analysis showed that stands with greater dominant height and closer distance from bark beetle hotspots in previous years were associated with higher dieback intensity. Stands located in bioclimatic zones characterized by low altitude, or those with climatic conditions marked by a summer water deficit (P-ETP) or a more rapid decrease in summer water deficit during the 2010–2021 period, were associated with increased damage in Norway spruce stands. These results were interpreted to propose management guidelines for limiting the impact of future bark beetle outbreaks in spruce stands, which will be increasingly stressed in this century's climate. High-resolution remote sensing data can identify variations within seemingly uniform forests, providing insights into disease outbreak patterns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"597 ","pages":"Article 123136"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carbon sequestration induced by enhanced silicate rock weathering in a temperate larch plantation in Northeastern China","authors":"Zhou Wu ,&nbsp;Chenxia Su ,&nbsp;Meixia Gao ,&nbsp;Ronghua Kang ,&nbsp;Daniel S. Goll ,&nbsp;Meng Yao ,&nbsp;Zihan Tai ,&nbsp;Ang Wang ,&nbsp;Qing-Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Yunting Fang","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a promising strategy for sequestering carbon (C) via removing atmospheric CO₂ as bicarbonate or carbonate. Previous in-situ field experiments concentrated on inorganic C sequestration by ERW, while paying little attention to the response at an ecosystem scale. In forest ecosystems, soil organic C (SOC) and tree growth represent major components of ecosystem carbon storage, and their responses to ERW could contribute to additional carbon sequestration. In this study, we applied wollastonite powder (0, 5, and 10 t ha⁻¹) to a larch plantation in Northeast China and monitored soil CO₂ flux, soil C dynamics, and tree growth. Our results showed that wollastonite addition reduced soil CO₂ fluxes by 16.5 % and 15.4 % in the first year at dosages of 5 and 10 t ha⁻¹, respectively, likely due to enhanced SOC stability and the geochemical effects of wollastonite weathering. In the second year, soil CO₂ fluxes increased by 4.1 % and 5.1 % relative to the control, which can be attributed to stimulated root respiration and accelerated SOC decomposition in the Oa+e horizon following wollastonite application. Tree biomass showed an increasing trend (p &gt; 0.05), suggesting a potential contribution of vegetation growth to ecosystem C sequestration. These findings highlight that both soil C dynamics and plant biomass responses should be considered when evaluating the C sequestration potential of ERW in forest ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"597 ","pages":"Article 123135"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tree growth and ground vegetation 17 years after disc trenching and pre-harvest nitrogen fertilization","authors":"Karin Hjelm ,&nbsp;Edzus Romans ,&nbsp;Lars Högbom ,&nbsp;Eva Ring","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Silvicultural practices such as site preparation and nitrogen (N) fertilization are commonly used to increase growth of a stand. These practices may affect the forest ecosystem for several decades, impacting not only the trees, but also the stand structure and ground vegetation. Long-term field experiments are thus necessary to study these effects. In our study, two field experiments, Hagfors and Nissafors, established around 1980, were used to study residual effects of previous N-fertilization and disc trenching (DT) on tree growth and ground vegetation 17 years after final felling. At both sites, DT reduced tree mortality and increased individual tree growth, resulting in higher stem numbers and tree volume per hectare after 17 years. Previous N-fertilization had no significant effect on tree growth. The ground vegetation was affected by DT at both sites. At Hagfors, the most pronounced effects were a reduction in the cover of <em>Cladonia rangiferina</em>, and an increase in <em>Calluna vulgaris</em> after DT. <em>Cladonia rangiferina</em> was also negatively affected by previous N-fertilization. At Nissafors, DT caused a shift in cover of <em>Vaccinium vitis-idaea</em> to <em>Vaccinium myrtillus</em>. The impact of DT on the field layer composition appears to have been caused by the soil disturbance but also the increased shading resulting from the increased tree growth and survival. This study indicates that previous N-fertilization and DT affect the ground vegetation in the longer term. This should be considered when developing guidelines and forestry practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"597 ","pages":"Article 123145"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Landscape-level canopy heterogeneity improves avian conservation value in Appalachian forests: Implications for dynamic forest restoration","authors":"Cameron J. Fiss ,&nbsp;Jonathan B. Cohen ,&nbsp;Tyler J. Hodges ,&nbsp;Dakotah R. Shaffer ,&nbsp;Darin J. McNeil ,&nbsp;Jeffery L. Larkin","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123124","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123124","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Eastern deciduous forests in North America have become increasingly homogenous in age-structure and composition, paralleling widespread forest bird declines. Given growing evidence of dynamic habitat use patterns by forest birds, researchers have increasingly called for a dynamic approach to forest management aimed at diversifying age structure. However, few studies have been conducted at large spatial scales with landscape-level replication to evaluate the conservation effects of managing forests with such an approach. We paired forest bird and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data from 224 unique 600-ha landscapes to understand the effects of dynamic forest restoration on avian communities. Specifically, we used multi-scale, multi-species abundance models to understand effects of forest structure on individual species and community-wide conservation value by weighting each species by its conservation need. Finally, we predicted species’ abundance and community conservation value outcomes in response to a simulated dynamic forest restoration scenario. Across 73 species of forest birds, 24 species had a significant (at either 95 % or 80 % CBI) positive relationship with landscape-level canopy height heterogeneity. As such, avian conservation value in our simulated dynamic forest landscape was 7.9 % higher than in an unmanaged landscape. Site-level effects translated into 39.5 % higher avian conservation value in recent (0–6 year old) overstory removals, and conservation value remained high in both 7–20 year old overstory removals and shelterwoods. The simulated dynamic forest landscape benefitted species with seemingly opposing habitat needs (<em>e.g.,</em> Golden-winged Warblers [<em>Vermivora chrysoptera</em>] and Wood Thrushes [<em>Hylocichla mustelina</em>]). Our results underscore the value of dynamic forest restoration as a tool for promoting community-wide conservation of birds in Appalachian forests.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"597 ","pages":"Article 123124"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Douglas-fir dominates when grown in dual species mixtures with three western conifers","authors":"Robert A. Slesak ,&nbsp;Michelle C. Agne ,&nbsp;Constance A. Harrington ,&nbsp;Matthew D. Powers","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123141","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123141","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Planting a mixture of species during reforestation is of increasing interest, underlying a need to quantify the long-term effects of mixtures on stand development for a wide array of species. Here we report on ∼40 year response of three dual species mixture trials at a moderate quality site in Washington, USA where coast Douglas-fir (DF, <em>Pseudotsuga menziesii</em> var. <em>menziesii</em>) was grown at 3 m spacing in a 50:50 mix with either western hemlock (WH, <em>Tsuga heterophylla</em>), noble fir (NF, <em>Abies procera</em>) or western white pine (WWP, <em>Pinus monticola</em>). Stand metrics were compared for each trial between replicated plots of the mixture and pure monocultures of each component species. Across all trials, DF grown in a mixture had greater height and diameter growth than any of the companion species (in either mixture or monocultures) and also outperformed DF grown in a monoculture. Height to diameter ratios for DF were lower in mixtures for all trials compared to DF monocultures, indicating lower interspecific competition for light when grown in mixture. In the DF-NF and DF-WWP trials, mixtures had lower total volume than the DF monoculture, but higher total volume than the NF and WWP monocultures. In contrast, there were no differences in volume between the mixture and monocultures in the DF-WH trial, likely because of complementary shade tolerances between species; overyielding in the mixture may occur with further stand development. These findings can inform decisions on the utility of species mixtures to achieve various management objectives related to wood production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"597 ","pages":"Article 123141"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Edge effects of linear disturbances on plant functional traits in boreal fens of northern Alberta, Canada","authors":"Brooklyn Bolstad ,&nbsp;Kellina L. Higgins ,&nbsp;Ellie Goud ,&nbsp;Maria Strack ,&nbsp;Anna Dabros","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123133","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123133","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global resource development has resulted in numerous disturbances that have a myriad of consequences on peatlands. We examined edge effects from one such disturbance, seismic lines, on plant species percent cover and select functional traits in Alberta, Canada. We tested various hypotheses that seismic lines and their edge effects influence percent cover and functional traits for eight dominant fen plant species: <em>Larix laricina, Picea mariana, Betula glandulosa</em>, <em>Salix pedicellaris, Andromeda polifolia, Menyanthes trifoliata, Carex aquatilis</em>, and <em>Sphagnum warnstorfii</em>. We analyzed species percent cover, plant height, leaf dry matter content, and tissue nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and carbon (C) content on the seismic lines and at various distances from the seismic line edge. Our findings suggest plant stress resilience to environmental variation through functional trait expression. This was most evident on species percent cover; <em>P. mariana, M. trifoliata, C. aquatilis,</em> and <em>S. warnstorfii</em> showed significant and unique responses across measured distances, with generally decreased plant cover on seismic lines. Plant height was significantly different across measured distances for <em>B. glandulosa</em> and <em>C. aquatilis</em>. Generally, tissue N, P, K, and C increased on the seismic line, consistent with a lasting release of nutrients during and following the disturbance. Connecting plant species abundance to functional traits provided insight into why recovery is lacking on seismic lines, even close to 30 years after the initial disturbance. We show that functional trait variation signals a pathway of plant stress resilience to disturbance that must be considered in ongoing forest management practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"597 ","pages":"Article 123133"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144997042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forest proximity and uniderstory complexity shape predation pressure on dummy caterpillars in rubber plantations","authors":"Soraya Carvalhedo Honorato ,&nbsp;Jaime Honorato Júnior ,&nbsp;Karla Vieira Morato ,&nbsp;Eduardo Mariano Neto ,&nbsp;Deborah Faria","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123134","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123134","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agriculture is a cornerstone of Brazil’s economy, but it also places the country among the world’s top four pesticide consumers. Natural enemies of pests can help reduce reliance on agrochemicals, but their presence and effectiveness depend heavily on local habitat conditions and landscape structure. In southern Bahia, rubber tree plantations—a key regional crop—face persistent threats from insect pests, including <em>Erinnys ello,</em> one of the most damaging to rubber production. However, the role of landscape factors and management intensity in shaping natural pest control remains poorly understood. To address this gap, we conducted predation pressure experiments in one of Bahia’s major rubber-producing regions. We investigated whether different management practices in rubber plantations influence how forest cover and proximity affect predation pressure on dummy caterpillars by natural enemies. Our findings reveal that responses varied across predator groups. Predation pressure from arthropods was sensitive to understory management, likely because of the increased habitat complexity it provides. Mammalian and overall community predation were influenced by forest distance at different scales: community-wide predation increased at 2500 m, suggesting generalist predators may benefit from less forested areas, while mammalian predation decreased at 500 m, indicating that nearby forest remnants are crucial refuges for vertebrate predators. Interestingly, overall forest cover showed no effect, implying that habitat amount alone is insufficient to explain the observed responses. Therefore, maintaining a complex understory and preserving nearby forest areas are vital strategies for enhancing natural pest control in rubber plantations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"597 ","pages":"Article 123134"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144926314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forest management in mountain mixed forests has moderate impact on breeding bird assemblages, but it substantially decreases the diversity of rare taxa","authors":"Peter Lešo ,&nbsp;Jakub Wyka ,&nbsp;Martin Korňan ,&nbsp;Jakub Horák ,&nbsp;Rudolf Kropil ,&nbsp;Andrea Lešová ,&nbsp;Bartłomiej Kusal ,&nbsp;Łukasz Kajtoch","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123123","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123123","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessing the impact of forestry on biodiversity has become a common tool for evaluating the sustainability of forestry. Birds are often used as indicators of biodiversity and sustainable management. We compared bird diversity and abundance between protected (natural) and managed forests representing temperate mixed forests of Central Europe dominated by beech, spruce, and fir. The bird census was performed in 2021 and 2022 using the point-count method at 173 census points (88 in strictly protected areas; 85 in managed forests) along with habitat surveys focused on potentially most important habitat variables that influence habitat selection of birds. Natural forests hosted higher bird species richness, diversity, and abundance than managed forests nearby. A positive influence of the forest conservation regime was that it exhibited a higher abundance of cavity nesters and threatened birds of the European Union that are listed in the Birds Directive (NATURA 2000 species). The mean volume of the total standing dead wood (SDW) was more than seven-fold higher in natural forests (32.59 m³·ha⁻¹) compared to managed ones (4.40 m³·ha⁻¹). Increased volume of the coarse SDW (diameter &gt;50 cm) had a positive effect on the diversity and abundance of birds. Increasing percentage of clearings had a significantly positive effect on overall bird diversity and abundance, with the exception of NATURA 2000 species. While the proportion of beech did not have a significant effect on overall species richness, diversity, or abundance, NATURA 2000 species and cavity nesters were positively influenced by its rising proportion in the stands dominated by conifers. The goal of modern forestry should include the cultivation of heterogeneous, structurally diverse forest stands, with high compositional diversity, and a considerable amount of dead wood. The impact of forestry should not be measured only on the basis of overall diversity and abundance, but also with the use of rare, sensitive, specialized forest-interior species reflective of high ecological and conservation value.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"597 ","pages":"Article 123123"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144922692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perspectives: State of national forest damage survey programmes in Europe and ways toward improved harmonization and data sharing","authors":"Tomáš Hlásny ,&nbsp;Michaela Perunová ,&nbsp;Roman Modlinger ,&nbsp;Max Blake ,&nbsp;Gediminas Brazaitis ,&nbsp;György Csóka ,&nbsp;Maarten de Groot ,&nbsp;Mihai-Leonard Duduman ,&nbsp;Massimo Faccoli ,&nbsp;Margarita Georgieva ,&nbsp;Georgi Georgiev ,&nbsp;Wojciech Grodzki ,&nbsp;Henrik Hartmann ,&nbsp;Anikó Hirka ,&nbsp;Gernot Hoch ,&nbsp;Hervé Jactel ,&nbsp;Mats Jonsell ,&nbsp;Marija Kolšek ,&nbsp;Paal Krokene ,&nbsp;Markus Melin ,&nbsp;Tiina Ylioja","doi":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123111","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123111","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent increases in forest damage across Europe have challenged national forestry sectors and threatened progress toward Europe’s climate and bioeconomy goals. Although developments in remote sensing now allow large-scale wall-to-wall monitoring of forest conditions, reliable damage assessments still require robust terrestrial data. Yet, existing data often remain inconsistent and fragmentarily distributed across institutions and countries. Based on consultations with national experts, we here provide an evaluation of national forest damage survey programmes in 19 European countries, identify obstacles that hinder more effective use of data, and formulate recommendations to overcome these barriers. We examined five aspects of national forest damage surveys: (i) legal and institutional frameworks, (ii) data acquisition methods, (iii) damage attribution, (iv) data quality and consistency, and (v) data accessibility. We found that half of the examined programs have changed protocols since 2000 and only 53 % of countries currently have survey programs covering their entire forest area. In 26 % of countries, legal constraints hamper data accessibility to the broader international community, while in 89 % data are available only in the respective national languages. In 84 % of countries, the absence of adequate metadata hinders the usability of the data without inside knowledge. Some of Central European countries operate the most consistent and open systems, while western and northern countries generally exhibited lower levels of openness and consistency. The implementation of coordinated structural changes in national programs that would enable consistent monitoring of forest damage at European level is unrealistic in the foreseeable future. However, certain critical gaps in data coverage, completeness, and consistency can be addressed through extensive data post-processing and integration with remote sensing. Overcoming barriers, such as limited awareness of the importance of transnational assessments, requires improved communication efforts and targeted funding programs. Establishing a coordination unit by leveraging existing policy processes in Europe appears essential to advancing these efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12350,"journal":{"name":"Forest Ecology and Management","volume":"597 ","pages":"Article 123111"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144922693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}