Future Forest Resources of Western and Eastern Europe

This book records the results of a four-year study of the effects of air pollutants, ineffective silviculture practices and other factors such as restrictive legislation and neglect of forests in 24 European countries. The story presented is grim: air pollutants are damaging some 80% of conifers and 45% of deciduous species and annual losses in timber will approach 48 million cubic meters in Western Europe and 35 million cubic meters in Eastern Europe. Annual losses due to air pollution (mainly sulfur and nitrogen) are estimated to be about 29 billion US dollars, compared to a planned investment in reducing air pollution of only 9 billion dollars per year. This estimate is conservative in part because it does not consider all social welfare aspects. A complete cost/benefit analysis of air pollution effects would have to include the impacts on human health, damage to buildings and effects on ecological systems other than forests. The situation is not hopeless: the authors point out that reductions in pollution and improvements in policies could increase timber harvests by a total of 140 million cubic meters per year in Western and Eastern Europe