Analysing and Modelling Forest Stand Dynamics for Practical Application- An European Review and Perspective-

A characteristic feature of European forest and ecosystem management is the concept of integration. While elsewhere plantations for intensive wood-production are separated from forests for conservation of biodiversity or recreation, in European forests a multitude of forest functions is supposed to be integrated. In order to assess and control the development of such multipurpose forests the European countries agreed on a list of criteria and indicators for ecological, economical and social sustainability. These criteria are not just an political paper tiger, they rather reflect and manifest the European ecosystem managers scope of thinking. This paper firstly sketches how forest management functions in Europe, what kind of information is available and required for sustainable management, and how scientific knowledge can be instilled into the planning process. Secondly I review where our system knowledge springs from: long-term experimental plots, monitoring systems, and eco-physiological experimental stations. Explanations and biometrical formulations for the way how environmental factors and resource supply affect plant growth are described and existing model approaches for stand dynamics are discussed. Thirdly th