Journal of Forest Science - In Press
Cross-scale integration of ecosystem services into forest planning in Riga ForestsOriginal Paper
Anita Skudra, Juris Zariņš, Jānis Ģērmanis, Linards Sisenis, Āris Jansons, Ivo Vinogradovs
Operational forest planning has traditionally been built around timber production, while the integration of ecosystem services (ES) into established planning systems remains limited. This study presents an ES-integrated adaptive decision support system (DSS) under development in Riga Forests (Latvia), built by formalising and extending an existing operational planning framework rather than replacing it. The system combines registry-based ES scoring, the existing Landscape Ecological Plan zoning and established operational planning practices within a four-level architecture comprising strategic, tactical, operational and adaptive components. Ecosystem-service scores are derived from State Forest Service inventory data using SQL-based algorithms and aggregated from forest compartments to planning zones, with the 2025 registry serving as the strategic baseline. A first registry-based diagnostic comparison between the 2025 and 2026 registry snapshots evaluates the behaviour of the system during its initial implementation. The analysis shows distinct spatial patterns among individual ecosystem services, modest differences in aggregated registry-derived ES capacity among functional zone types, and a wider range among district-by-type units within a functional type than between types. Among matched compartments, registry-input change relevant to the scoring algorithms is predominantly a change in recorded stand age (age only in 67.5% of compartments; age together with other inputs in a further 23.0%), and the resulting year-to-year score changes are registry-derived; the registry-vs-registry comparison cannot attribute them causally to management, ecological development, reclassification or data correction, indicating that registry-based scoring alone captures only part of the dynamics relevant to ecosystem services. These findings identify the development of a correction layer representing management-induced and other non-registry ecological factors as the principal next step towards a fully adaptive system. The study shows how ecosystem-service assessment can be incorporated into an existing operational forest planning system through incremental, auditable integration while preserving established planning procedures and institutional practices.
Identification and power relations of stakeholders in the private forest sector in PolandOriginal Paper
Emilia Wysocka-Fijorek, Szymon Żygadło
This article analyses the private forest sector in Poland, which encompasses over 1.78 million ha (19.3% of the country's forest area) and belongs to approximately 1.7 million owners. The research aimed to identify key stakeholders, examine the dynamics of power relations, and recognise structural, legal, and social barriers to effective forest management. The research methodology combined a narrative literature review with empirical field studies utilising the snowball sampling technique to map informal actor networks, followed by a quantitative survey among 139 key stakeholders and a 100-point constant-sum allocation method to evaluate ecosystem service priorities. In the results, an asymmetry of priorities was diagnosed: public administration focuses on supervisory functions, while owners prioritise pest protection and forest tending. An association paradox was demonstrated – despite a high declarative readiness for cooperation (approx. 89%), the actual level of organisation within associations remains marginal. The main barriers include an outdated legal framework, a lack of systemic compensation for restrictions on property rights, and specialist knowledge deficits – awareness of Natura 2000 protection goals is exhibited by only about 40% of owners. A comparative perspective with Slovakia highlights the impact of contrasting post-socialist transition paths, demonstrating the potential benefits of statutory anti-fragmentation measures and updated land community legislation. The conclusions indicate the necessity of activating latent social capital through legal amendments, the simplification of administrative procedures (Simplified Forest Management Plans – UPUL), and the construction of dialogue platforms. Stakeholder integration is an essential condition for reconciling the production function with growing social expectations regarding ecosystem services.