How can we enhance forest biodiversity?

Restoration

Bringing degraded forests closer again to their natural state can be achieved through various measures to improve forest condition and biodiversity. Protection, conservation and management measures as well as community engagement are needed to maintain, develop and restore habitat structure, functions and typical species composition. Ideally this should happen regardless of whether areas are well or not protected. The nature restoration law will help to achieve these objectives by requiring EU Member States to develop restoration measures so that by 2030 on at least 30 % of the total area, which are not in good conditions, of all habitat types concerned their status will be considered as ‘good’. By 2040 this should be achieved on at least 60% and by 2050 on at least 90% of those areas.

Protection and conservation

In total, about 24% of Europe’s forests are protected. About two-thirds of those 24%, are protected for biodiversity conservation, while the remaining one-third is protected to preserve the landscape and specific natural elements. Apart from Natura 2000 sites, the Common Database on Designated Areas (CDDA) identifies nature reserves and national parks all across Europe and the landscapes, species and ecosystems to set aside for the conservation of flora, fauna, and scenery, but also for recreation.

Primary and old-growth forests

Primary and old-growth forests, which are mature ecosystems with non-significant human-activity disturbances to their ecological processes, are some of the EU’s richest ecosystems. They are also more resilient to natural disturbances. They store significant carbon stocks and are of paramount importance for biodiversity and the provision of multiple ecosystem services. They provide a habitat for many of the native EU’s endangered species that can occur only in that ecosystem, and are also prime examples of our natural heritage. In the EU today, these forest areas are rare, often small, and fragmented. Stands in primary or secondary forests have sometimes developed the structural and species diversity that is normally associated with old primary forest of that type. Such forests also require recognition for their contribution to biodiversity protection. In the EU Biodiversity Strategy there is a commitment to strictly protect all remaining EU primary and old-growth forests. The European Commission drafted voluntary guidelines to achieve this (EC guidelines on primary and old growth forests).

Management

To further improve the status of the biodiversity in Europe’s forests, there are various interventions that can be taken to enable enhancement for the long term.

Improving habitat quality

Restoring poor soil conditions to healthy soils with increased nutrients and biodiversity.

Restoring water regime / ground and surface water levels

Improving (tree) species diversity

Stimulating natural regeneration.

Active planting with a diverse set of species.

Enhancing soil health by stimulating undergrowth.

Improving stand structure

Small scale harvest stimulates (vertical) variation in structure.

Extended stand rotation promotes diversity, habitat complexity and enhance resillience to disturbance.

Improving genetic diversity

Introduction and stimulation of autochthonous (native) plant species.

Conservation of forest pockets with a high or deviant genetic diversity.

Protecting threatened species.

Stimulating dead wood

Keeping dead trees in the forest improves biodiversity and resillience.

Ring-barking - circumferential removal of the bark causing tree dieback.

Stimulating the share of old trees

By spatially connecting (groups of) old trees, migration of species dependent on old trees is facilitated.

With veteranisation, younger trees are carved to initiate the process of decay and ‘ageing’.