Gingrich S., Magerl A., Matej S., Le Noë Julia. (2022). Forest transitions in the United States, France and Austri : dynamics of forest change and their socio- metabolic drivers. Journal of Land Use Science, 17 (1), 113-133. ISSN 1747-423X.
Titre du document
Forest transitions in the United States, France and Austri : dynamics of forest change and their socio- metabolic drivers
Journal of Land Use Science, 2022,
17 (1), 113-133 ISSN 1747-423X
Understanding the drivers of forest transitions is relevant to inform effective forest conservation. We investigate pathways of forest transitions in
the United States (1920-2010), France (1850-2010), and Austria (1830-2010). By combining evidence from forest inventories with the forest model CRAFT,
we first quantify how change in forest area (delta A), maximum biomass density (delta Bdmax), and actual biomass as fraction of maximum biomass (delta Fmax) shaped
forest dynamics. Second, to investigate the connections between forest change and societal resource use, or social metabolism, we quantify the importance
of selected proximate and underlying socio-metabolic drivers. We find that agricultural intensification and reduced forest grazing correlated most
with positive delta A and delta Bdmax. By contrast, change in biomass imports or harvest did not explain forest change. Our findings highlight the importance
of forest growth conditions in explaining long-term forest dynamics, and demonstrate the distinct ways in which resource use drove forest change.
