Sustainable biomass production from forests: lessons from historical experience and challenges for ecological research

摘要

Current demands for forest products, in particular for wood based bioenergy, are dramatically rising. At the same time, demands for other functions and services of forest ecosystems are gaining importance. Conflicts may arise with respect to the utilization of soils, as they are a non-renewable resource. The intention of the current paper is to highlight the impacts of forest use and other human activities from a historical perspective. Based on a review, an attempt is made to highlight important aspects of current forest soil research and to identify research gaps with respect to a sustainable management of forest soils.