Photo: BMLFUW/Löffler
Definition "Sustainable forest management"
At the Second Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, held in Helsinki in 1993, sustainable forest management was defined as follows:
“The stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality, and their potential to fulfil, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic, and social functions at local, national and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems.”This definition, which is generally accepted in Europe, takes into consideration the multifunctionality of the forest and the striving for sustainable development by nature and the economy. In order to reach that goal, the Austrian forestry policy is oriented according to a seminatural forest management.
In order to evaluate the state and the development of sustainable forestry in Austria the “Pan-European Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management”, adopted within the framework of the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, are applied.
The 6 criteria:
1. Forest resources – Conservation and appropriate improvement of forest resources and their contribution to global carbon cycles.
2. Health and vitality – Maintenance of the health and vitality of forest ecosystems.
3. Productive functions of forests – Maintenance and strengthening of the productive functions of forests (wood and non-wood products).
4. Biodiversity – Safeguarding, protection and appropriate enhancement of the biological diversity of forest ecosystems.
5. Protective functions – Maintenance and appropriate enhancement of the protective functions in forest management (in particular soil and water).
6. Socio-economic functions – Safeguarding of other socio-economic functions and conditions.
02.03.2009,