A few numbers about forestry in Europe as background information for the graduate students from the Yale School of Forestry attending the 2017 European Forestry Fieldtrip

1. EUROPEAN FORESTRY FIELDTRIP, KEY FACTS ABOUT
FORESTRY IN EUROPE
1 – FORESTRY IN EUROPE
2 – PROTECTED AREAS, MAIN TREE SPECIES AND FOREST ECOSYSTEMS
3 – FORESTRY IN GERMANY
4 – FORESTRY IN FRANCE
Oscar Crespo Pinillos
oscar.crespo@yale.edu
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

2. 1 – FORESTRY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
#1 Idea – Forests are not depleted in Europe, some
European nations have abundant forest resources
European Union (EU-28) vs Europe
*Most data in this presentation are referred to EU-28 (27 soon)
Sources: EUROSTAT, Forest Europe
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

3. POLICY
EU – COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY, RURAL
DEVELOPMENT
COUNTRIES (CENTRALIZED VS FEDERAL)
REGIONS / LAENDER
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

4. Sources: EUROSTAT, Forest Europe
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

5. 306
279
252
232
206
186
173
153 155
116
91
78
34 31
GERMANY AUSTRIA CZECH
REPUBLIC
POLAND UNITED
KINGDOM (¹)
ROMANIA ESTONIA FRANCE (¹) EU-28 ITALY (¹) FINLAND SWEDEN SPAIN PORTUGAL (²)
Volume/ha [m3/ha]
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University
46%
71%
82%
57%
42%
45%
63%
67%
59%
24%
55%
91%
45%
51%
Removals/growth Ratio – 2010 (EuroStat)
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000 Annual increment (1,000 m³)
Removals to growth
ratio (USDA)
USA Total (2007) 59%
North Total (2007) 53%
Maine (2007) 100%
Connecticut (2007) 45%
South Carolina
(2015)
67%
Oregon (2015) 63%
New York (2014) 43%

6. Main producers: Sweden, Finland,
Germany , France, Austria
Innovation: CLT (Cross Laminated
Timber) & plywood were invented
in Austria, kraft process was
discovered in Germany, etc.
Intact forest landscapes
(nearly none)
Most important
forestry regions
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University
Source: FAOSTAT

7. EU 28 – 1ST PRODUCER OF ROUNDWOOD AND MANY TIMBER PRODUCTS
Roundwood production in the EU-28 reached 425 million m3 (11.5 % of the
world total) in 2014, making the EU-28 the largest producer within the G20
followed by the United States, India and China.
Sources: EUROSTAT, Forest Europe
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

8. CUT-TO LENGTH LOGGING
HARVESTER + FORWARDER
CABLE LOGGING IS FREQUENT IN THE ALPS REGION
Most of the cut-to length machinery is manufactured in Finland and
Sweden.
LOGGING
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

9. 2 – PROTECTED AREAS, MAIN TREE SPECIES AND FOREST ECOSYSTEMS
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

10. Stretching over 18 % of the
EU’s land area and almost 6 %
of its marine territory, it is the
largest coordinated network
of protected areas in the
world
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

11. European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

12. MAIN TREE SPECIES (Source: European Atlas of Forest Tree Species)
European beech (Fagus sylvatica):
- Large tree (30-50 m)
- Life span: 150-300 yrs
- Irregular fruit production
- Shade-tolerant!
- Humid soils, with good drainage
- Great wood for carving, spoons, firewood,
hard to compete with Eastern European
markets
Norway Spruce (Picea abies):
- Large tree (50-60 m)
- Life span: 200-300 yrs (9,500 yrs –re-sprouting)
- Central and Northern Europe
- Shade-tolerant!
- Acidic humid soils
- Decline problems in Central Europe
- Main timber tree in Germany
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

13. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris):
- Large tree (20-40 m)
- Life span: 400 yrs
- Pioneer species – full sun to partial shade
- Undemanding on soils, more drought tolerant
- Most widely distributed pine in the World (Spain–
Siberia) – 20% of productive forests in Europe
- Lumber, furniture, pulp and paper
Oaks (Quercus robur and Q. petraea):
- Large tree (30 m)
- Life span: 1000 yrs, rotation > 100 years
- Pioneer species, as most oaks they re-sprout
- Robur more abundant on wetter coastal areas,
petraea present in rocky soils), having a hard time
competing against beech
- Great wood – furniture, flooring, wine barrels!!
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

14. 3 – FORESTRY IN FRANCE
Source: http://agreste.agriculture.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/bois2012anglais.pdf
Hardwood species: 71%
(Oak<Beech<Chestnut)
Sofwood species: 29%
(Maritime pine<Scots
pine<Norway spruce<
Douglas Fir
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

15. http://le-lutin-savant.com/g-france-geographie.html
KLAUS – 2009 - Landes
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

16. Yes! I am going to talk about wine
1 m3 White Oak (American) – 4 wine barrels (more less $ 350 a barrel)
1 m3 French Oak – 2 wine barrers ($600 -800 /barrel)
Split (French)
vs
Sawn (American)
Different wood,
different aromas –
French associated
with spices, American
with coconut
Best regions:
Allier – Q. petraea
Never – Q. petraea
http://www.nadalie.com/sources-france.php
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

17. 3 – FORESTRY IN GERMANY
Natural conditions – 2/3 of Germany would be Beech and mixed beech forests
Currently – aprox. 15%
19th century – coniferous tree species were favored (60:40 – Conifer : Broadleaf)
From clearcutting to close to nature forestry
Main stress factors: MAJOR STORM EVENTS, INSECTS AND DECLINE
57% of the forests in Germany within protected areas
CERTIFICATION:
In Germany about 7.3 million hectares are certified through PEFC (2011).
Certified according to FSC are approximately 633,136 hectares (2011).
11 million hectares of forests (1/3 area)
Logging – 70% MAI
France – 65%
1st EU producer of sawn
timber and wood panels
Source: http://www.forstwirtschaft-in-deutschland.de/german-forestry/forest-facts/?L=1
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

18. 14% OF THE ROUNDWOOD PRODUCTION VS THE USA
3.8 % OF THE SIZE OF THE USA
In many countries organized forestry was developed by German foresters or
nationals who graduated from forestry schools in Germany
But…The tallest tree in Germany
is a Douglas Fir!
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

19. A) GERMANY’S FORESTS
High forest management is the predominant silvicultural system in
Germany. The stands are either naturally or artificially regenerated
at the end of a long production period (80 to 300 years depending
on the tree species). Plenter forests (variable/multi-aged forests)
constitute a type of forest that is close to nature. Here, trees of
different age classes stand side by side. Regeneration takes place
here on a continuous basis, more or less. Selective cutting use or
group-selection cutting are carried out in plenter forests. Natural
regeneration can develop or already existing regeneration can be
used in the spaces opened up by cutting. The “plenter idea” with
forest management by individual trees (single-stem working) and
multi-storied forest structure has had a stimulating effect on many
other silvicultural methods over many decades.
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

20. Brukas & Wever 2009
Traditionally silviculture in Germany aimed for the “normal
forest”: continuous timber flow and long rotations to obtain
large dimensions timber.
State Forest enterprises earnings from 1991 to 2002: -120
euros/ha, subsidized State forestry
Arbeitsgemeinschaftnaturgemasse
Waldwirtschaft (ANW) – Close to
Nature Forestry
Gamborg & Larsen 2003
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

21. The Federal Republic of Germany is a federal state. That means,
in Germany several states have contracted an alliance in a way,
that the member states (Bundeslaender) have trans-ferred parts
of their sovereignty on the central state; thereby state quality has
not only the central state but also the 16 Laender.
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

22. The private forest in Germany is
predominantly small structured and
fragmented. About half of the private
forest area share holdings with less
than 20 hectares. Only 13% of private
forest have a size of more than 1,000
hectares. The number of corporative
and private forest owners in Germany is
about 2 million.
Very strong Forest Owners associations
(AGDW has >800,000 members)
Community forests are concentrated in
the South-West
Bavaria has more than 700,000 forest
owners
B) WHO OWNS THE FORESTS?
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

23. Forests increased by more than 1 million hectares in Germany over the
past five decades. The timber stocks in Germany account for 336 m3 per
hectare, with the annual timber increment totalling around 76 million
m3. The timber growth is 11.2 m3 / ha per year or 121.6 million m3 per
year.
http://www.efi.int/files/attachments/members/ac_2010/2010-09-16_efi_dresden_kiesgerold.pdf
Forestry - an important economic factor in
Germany
The forest and timber industry, including
processing and paper as well as printing and
publishing, accounts for nearly 1,3 million jobs
with an annual turnover of about 170 billion. The
socio-economic importance of forestry and the
wood-based industry in Germany has so far
been seriously underrated. Small- and mideium-
sized forest-based enterprises play a major role
in rural employment structures.
Sawn mills
C) INDUSTRY
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

24. MAIN SOURCES:
Forest Europe –State of European Forests 2015 -
http://www.foresteurope.org/docs/fullsoef2015.pdf
Forestry in France
http://agreste.agriculture.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/bois2012anglais.pdf
Forestry in Germany
http://www.forstwirtschaft-in-deutschland.de/german-forestry/forest-facts/?L=1
EUROSTAT Forestry Statistics:
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Forestry_statistics
UNECE – State of World’s Forest
http://www.unece.org/forests/fpm/onlinedata.html
European Forest Atlas of Tree Species
http://forest.jrc.ec.europa.eu/european-atlas-of-forest-tree-species/
Vilis Brukas, Norbert Weber, Forest management after the economic transition—at the crossroads between German and Scandinavian traditions, Forest Policy and Economics, Volume 11, Issue 8,
December 2009, Pages 586-592, ISSN 1389-9341, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2009.08.009.
Christian Gamborg, Jørgen Bo Larsen, ‘Back to nature’—a sustainable future for forestry?, Forest Ecology and Management, Volume 179, Issues 1–3, 3 July 2003, Pages 559-571, ISSN 0378-1127,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00553-4. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112702005534)
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University

25. ANY QUESTIONS?
oscar.crespo@yale.edu
"Oachkatzl"(Eichhörnchen=squirrel) and "Schwoaf" (Schweif=tail) are words that are
used to test whether you qualify as a native speaker of Bavarian/Austrian dialect.
Oachkatzlschwoaf
European Forestry Fieldtrip 2017 – Yale University