A story of shaping: silvicultural management shapes forest properties and controls ecosystem services and functions

Written by Antonios Apostolakis

Understanding the way that forest properties shape ecosystem services, such as carbon and nitrogen cycling, is pivotal for sustainable silviculture that targets multiple services rather than just the delivery of wood provisions. F,orests are often considered as natural, pristine ecosystems that are not affected by human activities. This argument might stand when comparing forests with other types of ecosystems like grasslands and croplands. However, when focusing on forested land, it becomes apparent that forests too have not eluded human touch. 
​Take the two forest stands in the photos below as an example. These are a coniferous and a deciduous forest stand located about 2 km apart in Schorfheide-Chorin, Germany. You can clearly spot the differences in the light conditions under the canopy as well as in the understory vegetation, with the coniferous forest being much brighter and greener in the understory. 

A coniferous (left) and deciduous (right) forest stand in Schorfheide-Chorin located 2 km apart. Photographs taken about 20 minutes apart. © Antonios Apostolakis

The species of trees found in a stand as well as their density and age, are subject to silvicultural management. As such, silvicultural management shapes forest properties, which in their turn shape the ecosystem services delivered by in the stand. ​