Sustainable forest management practices in European countries have been implemented to promote the conservation and enhancement of biological diversity. Selective measures have notably lead to increased natural regeneration and more mixed species stands. Actions have also been taken to encourage deadwood accumulation. From 2000 to 2005 the area of protected forests increased by about 2 million hectares. By 2005, almost 5 percent of Europe’s forests were protected.
Twenty-six percent of the European forests are considered undisturbed – they are mainly located in eastern and northern European countries. Excluding the Russian Federation, only 5 percent of forests in Europe are undisturbed. About 70 percent of Europe’s forests are classified as semi-natural and about 4 percent as plantations.
Three percent of the European forests are protected with the main objective of conserving biodiversity. Another 1.7 percent is protected with the main objective of conserving landscapes and specific natural features. For the FOREST EUROPE region excluding the Russian Federation, these figures are 8 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
More than 20 percent of European forests are managed primarily to protect water, soil and infrastructure, including settlements, roads, railways, pipelines, cultivated and industrial areas. Ten percent of European forests are designated primarily for the protection of soil and water, and 11 percent for the protection of infrastructure or managed natural resources. In some areas, notably mountains, the protective functions are particularly important and override the others.
Less than 1 percent of Europe’s forests are dominated by introduced tree species, or around 4% if excluding the Russian Federation. In many countries, introduced tree species are closely related to the establishment of plantations, and while significant in some countries, the total area is not increasing.
