Best Practice Knowledge Base
1.10 Mixed-species planting
Mixed beech-spruce plantation, BIOTREE-Kaltenborn, Germany © Hernán Serrano-León
Mixed-species planting in forest restoration involves establishing multiple tree species together, rather than pure plantations or monocultures. This approach mimics natural forest ecosystems, and is expected to enhance biodiversity, increase resilience to disturbances, and foster ecosystem services. For implementation, relevant aspects include the species composition, considering their compatibility and complementarity in resource utilization as well as in their ecological roles, in conjunction with site conditions. In particular, mixed-species planting requires a strategic layout to optimize interspecies interactions and avoid competition.
I. Guidelines
| Nº | Title | Author | Year | Focus Region | Language | Summary |
| 1 | Mixed Species Options for Forests For Tomorrow | Forests for tomorrow | 2013 | Canada | English | Short guide on mixed-species planting of conifers |
| 2 | Species selection tool | BFW | 2024 | Europe | English | Map-based tool for species selection in the context of forest restoration, developed in the SUPERB framework |
II. Books or book chapters
| Nº | Title | Author | Chapter | Chapter author | Year | Focus region | Language | Summary |
| 1 | Restoring Forests and Trees for Sustainable Development: Policies, Practices, Impacts, and Ways Forward | Katila et al. | Advances in forest restoration management and technology | Stanturf et al. | 2024 | World | English | Compares different regeneration techniques from different practical perspectives, including mixed planting |
| 2 | Mixed species forests | Pretsch et al. | - | - | 2017 | World | English | Detailed overview of the current state of knowledge on the ecology and management mixed-species forests and plantations |
| 3 | The practice of silviculture: Applied forest ecology | Ashton and Kelty | The arrangement, composition, and methods of planting: Mixed species, single-aged plantations; Mixed species with all-aged or multiple-aged systems | - | 2017 | World | English | On the design, benefits, and challenges of mixed-species plantations |
| 4 | Grundriss des Waldbaus | Burschell and Huss | Verjüngung - Begründung voon Mischbeständen | - | 2004 | Europe | German | Insights and main considerations for the extablishment of mixed-species plantations |
| 5 | Waldbau auf Ökologischer Grundlage | Bartsch et al. | Bestandesbegründung: Pflanzung von Mischbeständen | - | 2020 | Germany | German | Basic considerations and recommendations for the establishment of mixed-species plantations |
III. Scientific articles
| Nº | Title | Author | Year | Focus region | Language | Type | Summary |
| 1 | Mixed-species plantations of Eucalyptus with nitrogen-fixing trees: A review | Forrester et al. | 2006 | World | English | Systematic review | Review of the processes and interactions in mixed plantations, for the selection of successful species combinations |
| 2 | Mixed-species plantations: Prospects and challenges | Nichols et al. | 2006 | World | English | Conceptual review | Addresses the benefits of mixed plantations, in view of their financial costs |
| 3 | Tree diversity is key for promoting the diversity and abundance of forest-associated taxa in Europe | Ampoorter et al. | 2019 | World | English | Observational study | Comprehensive study on the effects of tree diversity on forest-related biodiversity |
| 4 | Investigating the Effects of Tree Species Diversity and Relative Density on Bird Species Richness with Acoustic Indices | Beason et al. | 2023 | Germany | English | Observational study | Studies the effects of tree species diversity on bird species diversity |
| 5 | Mixed-species versus monocultures in plantation forestry: Development, benefits, ecosystem services and perspectives for the future | Liu et al. | 2018 | World | English | Narrative review | Explores advantages, challenges, and ecological impacts of mixed-species vs. monoculture tree plantations |
| 6 | Reforestation with native mixed-species plantings in a temperate continental climate effectively sequesters and stabilizes carbon within decades | Cunningham et al. | 2014 | Australia | English | Observational study | On the capacity of mixed plantations to sequester and store carbon |
| 7 | Belowground ecological interactions in mixed-species forest plantations | Jose et al. | 2006 | World | English | Narrative review | Review on the belowground interactions of mixed-species plantations |
| 8 | A Synthesis of the Available Evidence to Guide the Design of Mixed-Species Forest Plantings for Smallholder and Community Forestry | Nguyen et al. | 2017 | World | English | Systematic review | Systematic assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of mixed-species plantations for rural smallholders and communities |
| 9 | Tree species mixing can increase stand productivity, density and growth efficiency and attenuate the trade-off between density and growth throughout the whole rotation | Pretsch and Schütze | 2021 | Europe | English | Observational study | Evaluation of the productivity, growth, and competition of monocultures vs mixed plantations of different combinations of European species |
| 10 | Tree Species Composition in Mixed Plantations Influences Plant Growth, Intrinsic Water Use Efficiency and Soil Carbon Stoc | Niccoli et al. | 2021 | Italy | English | Observational study | Evaluating growth, resource use, and soil fertility in mixed-species tree plantations |
| 11 | Toward managing mixed-species stands: from parametrization to prescription | Pretsch and Zenner | 2017 | World | English | Conceptual review | Summarizes and discusses the current knowledge on mixing effects on the structure and growthof forest stands |