The continuous cover forest: a pleasant forestry daydream or a concept for the future? (essay) | La forêt pérenne: aimable rêverie sylvicole ou concept d'avenir? (essai)
2009
Schuetz, J.-P., Pro Silva Europa, Zuerich (Switzerland)
The name alone of continuous cover forest demonstrates the very essence of a concept of forestry management whereby there is continuous forest cover and sudden jumps between the generations are avoided. Although this concept is highly modern, it was developed by Alfred Möller in Prussia in about 1920 in opposition to the mechanistic concept of gaining maximum profit from the soil. The ecosystem and its constituents, the trees with their individual growth characteristics, represent a production system combining ecology and economy using the natural processes of autoregulation known as bio-rationalisation. The application of the concept does however demand a high level of silvicultural competence. For finally the forester himself must determine, on the spot and with the evidence before him, which method of treatment will be best suited to the situation, taking into consideration all the prevailing conditions on the site and the structure of the stands present. This concept, which is highly suitable for multipurpose forest management, is perfectly adapted to the Swiss ecoforestry.
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