Project INTEGRAL - future-oriented integrated management of European forest landscapes: objectives and study specifics in Lithuanian case areas

Abstract

Project INTEGRAL aims to reduce the conflict between multiple demands for forest goods and services and to provide with new policy and management approach that takes into consideration the sensitive issues of ecology, socio-economy and policy. The research in Lithuania is carried out in two case study areas that are different in territory planning, biophysical and social terms, but both has present or potential conflicts in aforementioned issues. Žemaitija case study area is selected regarding numerous share of private forests; presence of recreational and protected areas therefore pronounced restrictions on forest management; lots of abandoned agricultural land and consequently numerous natural and artificial afforestation. Kazlų Rūda case study area is dominated by state forests with the primarily production purpose, therefore wood industries are well developed and forest management is the main issue, still the area is interesting within the perspective of forest management planning. As INTEGRAL future scenarios largely rely on ecosystem goods and services (ES), barriers, drivers and present conflicts, the latter were determined for both case study areas using qualitative interviews of forest owners, managers and stakeholders, literature review and STEEP (in societal, technological, ecological, economical and political aspects) analysis. Barriers and drivers in Telšiai case study area: national forest policy setting rigid regulative framework (mainly barrier), increasing bureaucracy in state forestry (barrier), “soft” liberalisation in private forestry (potential driver); increase in forest area, driven by: natural afforestation of abandoned land and artificial afforestation due to sizeable EU subsidies; increasing demand of wood for bioenergy; increasing environmental focus by the public and environmental authorities; state of forests (species, age, calamities) perceived the main factor in taking management decisions