A study reveals EU forests remain predominantly managed for wood production, with income from regulating and cultural ecosystem services remaining limited. Despite EU policies like the Green Deal and Nature Credits Roadmap aiming to promote multiple forest services, provisioning services (e.g., timber) account for over 80% of forest income. Survey data from 516 forest managers across 27 countries shows profitability prioritizes wood production, while public demand for regulating (e.g., carbon storage) and cultural (e.g., recreation) services grows. Researchers identify two management profiles: wood-focused forests in coniferous regions and multiple-service forests in broadleaved areas near cities. State forests generate higher income from non-provisioning services than private ones. The study calls for policy reforms to align financial incentives with societal demands for ecosystem diversity, emphasizing the need for targeted incentives like those in Croatia and Serbia.
© European Union Adapted from https://www.europa.eu , licensed under CC BY‑4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).
https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-forest-management-still-focuses-most-profitable-services-2026-02-04_en
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