What is Forest Management?

Forest management in the 21st century is a highly modern production and service sector with a wide range of tasks and social obligations.

Sustainable forestry guarantees the preservation of our forests and secures the most diverse functions. Different demands are placed on forests. For example, the sawyer sees the forest with different eyes than the hunter does. A jogger or mountain biker will have a different view from a biologist or ecologist, who have their own views on the forest. These examples can be continued almost indefinitely. What all have in common is that, despite differing perspectives, they place demands on forests while also seeking to preserve them. These diverse interests must be coordinated, and their implementation effectively managed. There is no single, absolute solution. Research, supported by careful observation, provides the basis for objective discussion. In addition to local and national perspectives, global considerations must also be taken into account in relation to forests – whether in terms of biodiversity, climate protection, habitats for local communities, or economic interests – all of which societies prioritise to varying degrees.

As the second-largest ecosystem on Earth, forests have a significant influence on the living conditions on our planet. Forests are diverse resources. Sustainably managed forests produce the natural raw material wood, whose properties are valued worldwide, e.g., in the form of construction timber for houses and furniture, as a paper or energy source, or as a component of many everyday objects. Its importance in terms of land conservation and culture and its contribution to environmental and climate protection (explicitly including commercial forests) also represent an asset that is becoming increasingly important and which we must handle with care. The world's forests store around 1,150 billion tonnes of carbon in all compartments, including the mineral soil.¹ This is roughly equivalent to 4,200 billion tonnes of CO2. This amount corresponds to the global annual carbon dioxide emissions of about 115 years!² Alongside the world's oceans, the world's forests alone make a major contribution to stabilising the climate. Responsible use through sustainable utilisation or protection of the resource "forest" is therefore called for. Sustainable, regulated forestry must therefore create structures for the responsible management of forest ecosystems.

Behind this, however, there are always people who help to shape social norms and put them into practice. People are the most important part of a service company. Cluster studies show that the forestry industry and related "enterprises" are both important "employers" and value creators for our economies. The cluster study "Forestry and timber industry in the Federal Republic of Germany" shows more than 1.3 million employees with a turnover of 181 billion euros and confirms the previous statements.³

It is also people who, in addition to creating non-material and material values, assume responsibility for present and future generations by taking on an educational mission. Hardly anyone knows, for example, that state and municipal forestry companies are among the largest environmental education organisations in the Federal Republic of Germany. The forestry industry needs people who take on the responsibility outlined above. You can acquire the necessary knowledge for this at the Rottenburg University of Applied Forest Sciences.

¹ http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/special-reports/spm/srl-en.pdf (11.12.2014)

² http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/wg3/ipcc_wg3_ar5_summary-for-policymakers.pdf (11.12.2014)

³ http://www.wald-zentrum.de/pdf/projekte/Clusterstudie.pdf (11.12.2014)