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Published: 06 Apr 2010
Forests offer much
more than Sunday walks, clean air and water,
wild birds and mushrooms. In addition to
being home to numerous species, forests
are vital to the overall health of our environment.
The European Environment Agency's (EEA)
new short assessment provides an overview
of their state and their main threats.
Fifth in the series
of '10 messages for 2010', the EEA's assessment
on forest ecosystems finds that while their
overall area remains stable, woodlands face
a variety of threats. Besides unsustainable
management practices, air borne pollution
and climate change, forests are also threatened
by fragmentation due to rapidly spreading
urban areas and transport networks. Both
the healthy functioning of forest ecosystems
and the biodiversity they foster are at
risk.
Forests protect soil
from erosion, regulate water flows and capture
carbon from the atmosphere. Around and within
urban areas, they are essential for providing
fresh air, reducing dust and noise. They
also serve as microclimate buffers against
urban heat.
The wellbeing of numerous plants and animals,
including many species protected by European
Union legislation, is directly linked to
forest ecosystems. Moreover, forest patches
also play a critical role in facilitating
species' movements through their connectivity
with other ecosystems.
Main findings
About one-third of the land area of EEA
and collaborating countries is forest, with
the largest wooded areas located in Finland,
France, Spain and Sweden.
Only 5 % of forests
in EEA countries are undisturbed by human
intervention. In the wider European region
covered by 'Forest Europe', such forests
account for almost a quarter of the total
forest area, with more than half of the
undisturbed forest located in the Russian
Federation.
Old growth natural and
semi-natural forests are particularly valuable
for biodiversity and carbon storage.
More than half of the forest species of
'European interest' and over 60 % of forest
habitat types identified by the Habitats
Directive are reported to be in 'unfavourable
conservation status'.
Twenty-seven per cent
of mammals, 10 % of reptiles and 8 % of
amphibians linked to forest ecosystems are
threatened with extinction in the EU region.
Climate change is first
expected to affect the range of tree species,
with greatest impacts on those situated
at latitudinal and altitudinal extremes.
Increased periods of drought and warmer
winters are likely to weaken forests further
against invasive species.
Although certain tree species may produce
higher timber yields, genetic variety in
regionally adapted forests is essential
for adapting to new environmental conditions
such as climate change.
Factors such as forest
ownership structures and the importance
of forestry to national economies can significantly
influence forest ecosystem management targets,
thereby affecting biodiversity. Forty per
cent of forests in EEA countries are state
owned. The remaining 60 % is private property.
More information
To explore future forest management options,
the European Commission has published a
Green Paper on Forest Protection and Information
in the EU and launched a consultation process,
requesting input from EU institutions, Member
States, EU citizens and other interested
stakeholders.
Food and Agriculture
Organisation's Global Forest Resources Assessment
2010
