The course provides an overview of the criteria and indicators that are used worldwide to guide sustainable forest management practices and explains how these will vary in a changing climate. It examines the evolution of sustainable forest management, particularly in relation to internationally agreed criteria of sustainable forest management. It adds to this discussion by looking at forest management through the lens of climate change. This is an important component of today’s forest management, made critical by the relatively long rotation times associated with the growth of forests. Rotation times vary tremendously: from a few years in the Tropics for some plantation forests to more than 100 years in the boreal forests of North America, Europe and Russia.
This course is designed for Master’s level students studying forest management and for advanced-level undergraduates. It assumes a basic understanding in a range of disciplines, but in recognition that not everyone taking the course will have this knowledge, links are provided to sources of further information.
Course Prerequisites
None