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Forest management is the planning and implementation of practices to better manage and use forests and their resources. Such planning is generally done through management instruments, e.g., management plans. Active management is required to preserve forest ecosystem functions, carbon stocks, biodiversity, and to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts.

Main messages

85% of Europe’s forests  are under active management.

Management practices can be tailored to achieve different forest services.

Strategic planning is important for sustainable forest management.

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How are droughts impacting Europe's forest biodiversity?

Drought events are becoming longer and more severe in Europe. Alerts over low soil moisture are now being issued also in winter and drought has overtaken wind as the most important disturbance agent on the continent. As a result, the structure and resilience of Europe’s forests are starting to face long-term impacts. In countries like Germany, popular terms such as “Waldsterben 2.0” (forest dieback 2.0) are becoming frequent in the media to describe catastrophic tree mortality levels and secondary results from drought, such as bark beetle outbreaks.

  • The EU Forest Strategy for 2030 sets a vision and concrete actions to improve the quantity and quality of EU forests and sterngthen the protection, restoration and resilience.   

  • The Birds and Habitats Directives provide a strong legislative framework for all EU countries to protect the most valuable and threatened biodiversity.  

  • The Renewable Energy Directive establishes guidelines for the sustainable use and promotion of renewable energy in the European Union. It sets criteria for the forest management approach inside and outside the EU.  

  • The UN's Sustainable development goals, in its target 15.2 promotes the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
  • Under the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 commits to planting at least 3 billion additional trees in the EU by 2030. See the assessement here.
  • The Global Forest Goals, in its target 3.2 aims to significantly increase the area of forests under long-term forest management plans.