New Report: Continuous Cover Forestry Better for Biodiversity
A new report from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and the Swedish Forest Agency (Skogsstyrelsen) shows that continuous cover forestry methods often provide better conditions for biodiversity in Swedish production forests compared to the dominant clear-cutting practice.
This is the first systematic review focusing on continuous cover forestry and biodiversity under Swedish conditions.
“The aim was to assess whether these methods can reduce the negative impacts on species and habitats that often occur after final felling,” says Adam Felton, Senior Lecturer at SLU and co-author of the report.
The report is based on a literature review, expert evaluations, and scenarios comparing how different management approaches affect forest environments in both the short and long term.
The methods showing the greatest positive impact were:
- Selective logging, where individual trees are removed in stages while older trees are preserved.
- Small-scale gap harvesting, which creates structural diversity and a more stable forest microclimate.
Both methods supported a wide range of species – such as fungi, mosses, and insects – thanks to a more stable environment with even light, humidity, and temperature levels. However, the findings also show that different continuous cover methods affect different groups of species in different ways. Avoiding clear-cutting alone is not enough – the choice of method is crucial for conserving biodiversity.
“I found it particularly interesting how birds, insects, and vascular plants respond so differently depending on the method used,” says Adam Felton.
Read full report here (in Swedish only).
Contact:
Adam Felton, Senior Lecturer at Department of Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, adam.felton@slu.se, 040 41 51 71