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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 overallhealth 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 serveas 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.
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 centof forests in EEA
countries are state owned. The remaining 60 % is private
property.
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
diversity and forest ecosystems in Europe - Highlights EEA
http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/biodiversity-and-forest-ecosystems...
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