Klaus PuettmannEdmund Hayes Professor in Silviculture Alternatives

Moving “Beyond The Label” May Lead To Wider Applications Of Uneven-aged Management

(alternative silviculture)

Lindenmayer et al. 2012 ConsLet

Opportunities for alternative silviculture

Gobal distribution of “primary designated functions”

Per FAO assessment 2010

Biodiversity Production

Soil and water protection Social services

Multiple use Unknown/Other

World map by www.freeworldmaps.net

Ecological forestry

Continuouscover

Nature oriented

Close-to-nature

Reduced Impact logging

Variable retention

Ecosystemmanagement

SystemicSilviculture

Natural Disturbance-based

management

Retentionforestry

Global Scale of Alternatives

Partial harvest

Small- scale

variability

Avoid intensive

operations

Natural regeneration

Mixed species

Five Principles of Alternative Silviculture

Hurdles to Overcome

• Ecology• Economics• Logistics• Education (Information)• Culture (History)

Partial Harvest - Retention

• Ecological• Scale - natural disturbances

• Economics• Penalty for large tree size• Interest rate

• Logistics• Labor (marking trees)• Machines

• Education• Culture

• “Imprinting” or “knowledge lock-in”

Small-scale Variability

• Ecology• Fire ladder• Diseases

• Economics• Wood quality/branch size

• Logistics• Machines• Inventory/planning

• Education• Culture

• Stand layout

Avoid Intensive Operations

• Ecology• Competitive understory• Tree quality and stability

• Economics• Yield/quality reduction

• Logistics• Education

• Information about natural development

• Culture

Natural Regeneration

• Ecology• Species mixture• Assisted migration

• Economics• Variable success

• Logistics• Monitoring

• Education• Information about establishment and growth, release potential

• Culture• Reforestation laws

Mixed Species

• Ecology• Response to disturbances

• Economics• Wood value

• Logistics• Market access

• Education• Competitive relationships

• Culture• Reforestation laws

• Flexibility to accommodate local conditions– Relative importance of principles

• Focus on outcomes– Not necessarily principles or structures– Ecosystem services

• “Babysteps”

• Benefit of a conceptual, scientific framework (Complex adaptive system?)

Moving “Beyond The Label”

Acknowledgements: Drs. Baker, Australia; Bauhus, Germany; Donoso, Chile; Droessler, Scandinavia, Girma, Ethiopia; Harvey, Canada; Nocentini, Italy, Wilson, Great Britain; Yuanchang, China, and Yosihda, Japan. Discussions with numerous colleagues and students.

Thank you for your attentions !

Questions and Comments?