Silviculture and Cinegetics Review - Societatea Progresul Silvic

EDITORIAL SILVICULTURES AND CINEGETICS REVIEW XVII/30/2012
Reflections at the end of the International Year of the Forests
Aurel Teuşan
1. The Forests of Europe: On the edge
of the Ministerial Conference in Oslo
1.1. Introduction
„Our problems can only be solved globally“, so said
Michael Prodan, Romanian professor during a speech
held in October 1975 at the Faculty of Forestry of the
University of Freiburg. At the same time he urged
listeners to think in systems, entities that are mutually
conditioned - a view that is endorsed in recent decades
by the European Ministerial circles. During a first
conference in Strasbourg (1990) an intra-European
cooperation for common measures for the protection
of forests has been established. The conference in
Helsinki (1993) followed, the topic being the
assurance of sustainability in matters of forest
exploitation. In another conference (Lisbon 1998)
were discussed the ways to meet the many functions
incumbent to the forest. In Vienna (2003) the
emphasis was on the responsibility of the partners and
in Warsaw (2009) on the qualitative aspect of forest
resources. The cycle of conferences culminated during
the International Year of the Forests with a statement
in Oslo in June 2011 to which contributed several
organizations, namely Forest Liaison Europe,
UNECE, FAO and EFI (European Forest Institute).
The topic, „State of Europe’s Forests“, is conclusive
and it is conceivable as the new starting point to
optimize the European forestry.
The ultimate objective in the management and
exploitation of forests is defined as follows:
- Ensuring biodiversity, productivity, natural
regeneration and vitality.
- Also transposing in the position that meets the socioeconomic
and ecological requirements not only
locally but nationally and globally. In short:
sustainable management. Condition sine qua non:
adjacent ecosystems are not affected. Wishing to
emphasize the differences between regions, Europe
was divided into six subunits, namely North, Central -
West, Central - East, Russian Federation, South - East,
South - West. The basic data come from the 46
Member States and were obtained through both a
questionnaire and the European statistics.
The needed information was unavailable in some
cases. The available data was divided into two
chapters. These, in turn, have several subdivisions that
we will briefly reproduce.
1.2. Quantitative elements
- Forested area in Europe amounts to 10.2 million km
2 or 25% of the total world. In the last 20 years forest
area increased in all 6 regions with 0.8 ha annually.
- Wood reserves have increased over the same period
by 8.6 billion cubic meters from where a gap between
the increased surface and the reserves in wood.
Europe has the second place after South America.
Average per hectare varies between 158 m.c.
(European Union) and 105 m.c. the rest of Europe.
- Storage capacity of carbon dioxide. Between 2005
and 2010 European forests have incorporated 870
million tons annually, a figure equal to 10% of the
total gas emissions.
- Vitality of forest ecosystems. The main criterion is
the tree crown. In 2009 one quarter of the control trees
had thinning crown. The trees attacked by insects,
fungi and animals in Europe amount to 11 million
hectares or 1%. Sulfur deposits decreased by 30%
over the past decade.
- The balance between annual growth and exploitation
is positive. In 1990 only 51% of the growth were
exploited, a rate which in 2010 reached 62%.
- Roundwood production. In this field, Europe is
primus inter pares in the world. In the year 2010 over
578 million cubic roundwood were collected, revenue
amounted to 21.1 billion Euros.
- Other products (Christmas trees, fruit, berries, bark).
The reports obtained show a gain of 27 billion Euros.
Other details are difficult to obtain.
- The forest as workplace. Beginning with 2007 a
constant annual income of 818 Euros was made.
- Biological Diversity. Some methods of forest
management, including promoting the natural
regenerations and mixed forests, can help improve this
sector.
- Natural forests. At European level natural forests
(26%) are found only in the mountain regions of
northern and eastern Europe.
- Forests with protective functions (soil, water) totalwithout
Russia - 20%.
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