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In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for forest certification and certified forest products in Europe. This trend is related to major worldwide challenges, such as the need to decarbonize the economy and mitigate climate change but also social and consumer demands for wider fair trade. However, whether forest certification influences economic valorization in forestry remains a question. The aim of this study is to analyze forest certification levels across Europe and identify potential relationships between the level of certification in forest areas and relevant economic indicators at country level. This study collected openly available data on total and certified forest areas, economic indicators, and environmental indicators for 28 European countries and explored the correlation between certified forest areas and economic performance in the forestry sector. Findings show that forest certification can significantly improve the economic performance of European forests. It has a more pronounced positive effect on economic incomes than on costs' reduction. While certification costs do rise with the extent of forest area, they tend to stabilize at larger scales, suggesting that the certification process is economically sustainable and scale is relevant. Czechia and the Netherlands stand out for having the highest net values added related to forest certification, reflecting an effective economic exploration of forest resources. This study offers new perspectives to natural and social scientists, as well as to industry and policy makers, by proving contextualized data to support decision making. Additionally, it provides hints for further studies and policy guidelines on sustainable development and the impact of forest certification schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wildfire regime in Portugal has been responsible for millions of hectares of burnt area, and Alvares parish is no exception. In 2017, a severe wildfire burnt 60% of its area. Land abandonment has been increasing since the mid 20th century, and a large fraction of the forest area belongs to quasi-absent landowners. This has given rise to large, almost unbroken expanses of undermanaged forests that, in combination with rugged topography, originates a landscape prone to large, intense wildfires. Thus, a change in landscape composition and structure capable of reducing flammability and promoting fuel discontinuity is urgently needed. A fire spread simulator and a forest growth simulator were combined to show the impact of improving management at landscape level. It was assumed that the probability of large wildfires may be reduced by setting aside forest area for the implementation of a fuel break network (FBN) and increasing the area under sustainable forest management. Three levels of management intensity were simulated by restricting the area of Quasi-absent non-industrial owners to 34.5%, 20.1%, and 8.5% of the Alvares forest area, in favor of increasing the area of active and semi-active non-industrial owners (current, moderate, and high management scenarios). Different FBN extents, representing four levels of network implementation priority were combined with the management levels, resulting in 12 scenarios. To evaluate the impact of fire, simulations assuming no-fire, no-FBN, and current management intensity were performed, whereas the impact of operation costs was assessed assuming reduced costs for silvicultural operations. Per hectare simulations were then scaled up to the parish level and volume harvested and net present values were used to compare the management improvement scenarios. Results showed that fire has major repercussions on forest income, but these impacts can be minimized. Intensifying forest management and implementing the first priority FBN segments originated substantial improvements in financial outcome from timber production, close to those obtained for the full FBN implementation. Results also evidenced contrasting contributions from industrial and non-industrial owners with the later evidencing unbalanced cash-flows derailing the possibility for interesting forest incomes. The coupling of fire and forest growth simulations can be an interesting approach to assess the impact of different management and policy scenarios and inform policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucalyptus globulus Labill. is one of the most widely planted hardwood species worldwide. This species occupies a quarter of the country's forested area in Portugal, so there is a growing concern about its post-fire dispersal. Although it is generally recognised that fire promotes E. globulus natural regeneration and that precipitation and topography influence recruitment, little is known about the role of post-fire conditions on the establishment of the species following off-season fires. We examine how post-fire conditions affect E. globulus natural regeneration and invasive potential. Sapling establishment was assessed in plantations and under old and large isolated eucalyptus trees (seed-trees) following two off-season fire events (2017 June and October fires). Abiotic and biotic local factors affected differently sapling establishment in plantations and under seed-trees. In plantations, sapling cover was more influenced by tree-related traits (age and height), whereas the conditions beneath seed-trees mitigated the impact of harsh conditions on saplings. In both cases, post-fire climatic conditions constrained natural regeneration, with less impact under seed-trees, reinforcing their importance in establishment success. Thus, isolated seed-trees should be considered while managing the species' unplanned spread. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]