Will Storm Damage to European Forests Continue to Increase?
Jul 8, 2010
Storms cause more than 50% of all damage to European forests. If they continue to be managed as they are now the intensity and frequency of this damage is expected to increase. Future projections of storm tracks suggest storms will affect larger areas and penetrate further to the east of the continent. Currently the growing stocks and the age of forests are increasing and this will further aggravate the future vulnerability of forests to storm damage. What can policy and forest management do to mitigate storm damage and help to restore damaged forests? Are the policies that are currently in place effective? Researchers, policy makers, and stakeholders from across Europe discussed whether the current systems are adequate at both national and European level in a workshop last week in Brussels on ‘Policies for Forest Storm Damages Mitigation and Restoration‘.Read more...
