Forest biodiversity in the spotlight

The policy brief emphasises that forest biodiversity at genetic, species and ecosystem levels underpins forest functioning, ecosystems services and resilience to change. It outlines major external pressures such as climate change through altering species’ ranges and community composition, landscape fragmentation by hindering migration, atmospheric nitrogen/acid deposition through driving species loss in nutrient-poor habitats, invasive alien species, rising deer/ungulate damage and pesticide drift from surrounding areas. On the forestry-related side, the report flags intensity of harvesting, loss of old-growth forests and ancient forest continuity, conversion to mono-culture plantations, biomass extraction (e.g., whole trees, stumps) and dominance of closed canopy management as serious threats. To address this, the authors recommend management that fosters structural and compositional diversity at stand and landscape scales, integrates old-growth elements, uses genetic conservation and links biodiversity with adaptation (‘prestoration’) under climate change. They also emphasise that protected-area networks must be complemented by biodiversity-friendly management within production forests and that landowner incentives (e.g., payments for ecosystem services, certification, biodiversity offsets) are likely to be key to mobilising action.