Best Practice Knowledge Base
2.3 Continuous cover forestry
Continuos cover forestry in Scots pine. Sweden © Hernán Serrano-León
Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) is a sustainable forest management approach that maintains continuous canopy cover by retaining trees and promoting uneven-aged, mixed-species stands through selective harvesting and natural regeneration. This method enhances structural diversity, supports biodiversity, and improves ecosystem resilience. By avoiding clear-cutting, CCF preserves habitat continuity, mitigates soil erosion, and maintains microclimatic conditions favorable for various species. Implementing CCF involves careful selection of trees for removal and for retention, aligning economic objectives with ecological sustainability.
I. Guidelines
| Nº | Title | Author | Year | Focus Region | Language | Summary | Link |
| 1 | Managing Continuous Cover Forests | Forestry Comission | 2008 | United Kingdom | English | Detailed guidelines to apply continuous cover forestry in United Kingdom. | https://cdn.forestresearch.gov.uk/2022/02/fcogb7_v3_july2008-1.pdf |
| 2 | Environmental best practice for continuous cover forestry | Ireland et al. - Environment Agency | 2006 | United Kingdom | English | Best-practice guidance for protecting soils and water in continuous cover forestry, with case studies in the United Kingdom. | https://cdn.forestresearch.gov.uk/2022/02/environmental_best_practice_for_ccf.pdf |
| 3 | Continuous Cover Forest Management | Teagasc Forestry Development Department | 2016 | Ireland | English | Short continuous forestry management guide. | https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/crops/forestry/advice/Continuous-Cover-Forest-Management.pdf |
II. Books or book chapters
| Nº | Title | Author | Chapter | Chapter author | Year | Focus region | Language | Summary | Link |
| 1 | Continuous Cover Forestry: Theories, Concepts, and Implementation | Pommerening | - | - | 2023 | World | English | Introduction to the theory and practice of Continuous Cover Forestry, with guidelines. | https://www.wiley.com/en-au/Continuous+Cover+Forestry%3A+Theories%2C+Concepts%2C+and+Implementation-p-9781119895305 |
| 2 | Continuous Cover Forestry in Boreal Nordic Countries | Rautio et al. | - | - | 2024 | Northern Europe | English | Compiles the basis knowledge and latest research on continuous cover forestry in boreal forests. | https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70484-0 |
III. Scientific articles
| Nº | Title | Author | Year | Focus region | Language | Type | Summary | Link |
| 1 | Retention as an integrated biodiversity conservation approach for continuous-cover forestry in Europe | Gustafsson et al. | 2020 | Europe | English | Narrative review | Review on ecological and socio-economic frameworks of retention approaches in Continous cover forestry. | https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01190-1 |
| 2 | Continuous cover forestry in Europe: usage and the knowledge gaps and challenges to wider adoption | Mason et al. | 2022 | Europe | English | Descriptive study | Current usage of continuous cover forestry in Europe by country and knowledge gaps | https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpab038 |
| 3 | Continuous cover forestry is a cost-efficient tool to increase multifunctionality of boreal production forests in Fennoscandia | Peura et al. | 2018 | Fennoscandia | English | Modelling approach | Effect on multifunctionality of continuous cover forestry in Fennoscandia | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2017.10.018 |
| 4 | Transformation to continuous cover forestry - a review. | Vítková & Ní Dhubháin | 2013 | Ireland | English | Narrative review | Concepts about continuous cover forestry | https://journal.societyofirishforesters.ie/index.php/forestry/article/view/10105 |
| 5 | Continuous Cover Forestry and Remote Sensing: A Review of Knowledge Gaps, Challenges, and Potential Directions | Stoddart et al. | 2023 | Europe | English | Narrative review | Review on the application of remote sensing techniques to continuous cover forestry | https://doi.org/10.1007/s40725-023-00206-0 |
| 6 | Continuous-cover forestry maintains soil fungal communities in Norway spruce dominated boreal forests | Kim et al. | 2020 | Sweden | English | Experiment | Effect of continuous cover forestry on fungal communities, compared to clear-felled and natural forests | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118659 |
| 7 | A review of the history, definitions and methods of continuous cover forestry with special attention to afforestation and restocking | Pommerening & Murphy | 2004 | Europe | English | Narrative review | Review on the history and concepts of continuous cover forestry | https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/77.1.27 |
| 8 | Barriers to expanding continuous cover forestry in Sweden for delivering multiple ecosystem services | Hertog et al. | 2021 | Sweden | English | Conceptual analysis | Analysis on the cultural, societal and policy barriers for continuous cover forestry in Sweden | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2021.101392 |
| 9 | Can the use of continuous cover forestry alone maintain silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) in central European mountain forests? | Ficko et al. | 2016 | Central and Eastern Europe | English | Modelling approach | Effects of different uneven-age management methods on recruitment of silver fir in Europe | https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpw013 |