Assessing the dynamics of forest ecosystem services to define forest use suitability: a case study of Pinus sylvestris in Spain

Adopting a multi-criteria approach in forest management is essential for preserving or improving specifc benefts while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Determining the appropriate long-term management approach for a forest requires considering heterogeneous environmental and social factors, as well as changes in forest characteristics over time. Conducting a strategic assessment of forest use suitability (FUS), namely productive, protective, conservation-oriented, social and multifunctional, at the national level, taking into account the dynamics in the provision of forest ecosystem services and the trade-ofs between FUS alternatives, can guide the development of cus‑ tomized management strategies and policies that align with the specifc requirements and conditions of the forest. In this study, we evaluate the supply and simulation-based changes over time of diverse ecosystem services of Pinus sylvestris stands in Spain and utilize a decision model to determine the most suitable FUS alternative that enhances the provision of these services. The assignment of the most appropriate FUS alternative aims to help in decision-making processes and in the selection of the most adequate management strategies. To achieve this, we utilize the last version of ecosystem management decision support (EMDS) system, a spatially focused decision support tool capable of generating precise results for multi-criteria assessment. Participatory planning actions based on Delphi principles and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis were applied and combined with geospatial logic-based modelling. According to the results, the dominant FUS is protective, followed by productive alternative, exhibiting high levels of multifunctionality.

This research received funding from the European Union’s H2020 research and innovation programmes under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 101007950 (DecisionES), and 101059498 (Eco2adapt), from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PID2020-120355RB-IOO) and Forest Land‑ scape Planning and Decision Making: towards resilient landscapes (ForPLA‑ DEM)” research group, GRC (2021 SGR 01544).