United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Geneva, 3 October 2001

Myths of the European forest

 

There are many mistaken perceptions of the state of forests in Europe and elsewhere. Specialists of the forest sector know they are simplifications or distortions of the real situation but they persist stubbornly in the minds of the public. The State of the World’s Forests 2001, launched today in Geneva, presents the best ever data set on the world’s forests (FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment). UNECE contributed to this work and takes this opportunity to correct some of the myths about Europe’s forests.

Myth 1: Europe’s forests are not significant

Russia’s forest area is the world’s largest (851 million ha, a fifth of the world’s total), and in the rest of the region, forests cover about 38% of the land area, conserving biodiversity, protecting against erosion, and providing employment, recreation, wood and a wide range of other goods and services, many of them not yet economically valued. This counteracts their relative lack of importance in conventional GDP calculations.

Myth 2: Europe’s forests are shrinking

The shrinking of Europe’s forests stopped in most countries between the 19^th and 20^th centuries. They are now expanding by about 880 thousand ha a year, mostly through natural extension onto former agricultural land, but also through plantation programmes. Conversion of forest to other uses is severely limited everywhere. The expansion of European forests contributes to a globally lower net loss of forests in the 1990s compared with the 1980s.

Myth 3: Europe’s forests are publicly owned

In fact 47% of the regions’ forest (excluding the former Soviet Union, where forest is still all publicly owned) is in private hands, mostly by millions of forest owners with less than 5 ha of forest each. Their number is increasing as restitution and privatisation of forests continues in some countries in transition.

Myth 4: Most forests in Europe are natural

Russian forests are mostly natural, but elsewhere in the region, most forest is "semi-natural", which includes a wide range of forest types all influenced to a greater or lesser extent by human actions over hundreds of years.

Myth 5: The only threat to Europe’s forests is air pollution

Air pollution is a major concern as yet not well understood. However there are other important causes of damage:

· fires (about 200,000 ha/year in southern Europe, up to 7 million ha/year in Russia),

· damage by insects and game, and

· severe climatic events (e.g. the hurricanes in December 1999 which blew down the equivalent of three years harvest in two days).

Myth 6: Europe’s forests are being over-cut

Less than two thirds of the annual growth of Europe’s forests (excluding Russia) is harvested, so that the volume of wood contained in the forests is growing steadily. In Russia, only 14% of the growth is harvested. As a consequence, the forests of Europe and the CIS are sequestering large amounts of carbon, about 540 million tons per year.

 

Sources

State of the World’s Forests 2001, FAO, 2001

Forest resources of Europe, CIS, North America, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, UNECE/FAO contribution to the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000, United Nations, 2000

 

Background

A small group of FAO and UNECE specialists, based in Geneva, contribute to FAO’s global forest programmes, and service UNECE and FAO cooperation on forests and timber in the European region.

 

For further information please contact:

Kit Prins
Chief, Timber Section
UNECE Trade Division
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Telephone: +41 22 917 2874
Fax: +41 22 917 0041
E-mail: info.timber@unece.org
Website: www.unece.org/trade/timber

 

Ref:  ECE/TIM/01/02