Mixed-Species Forest Management and Biodiversity Dynamics
Summary
Mixed-species forest management involves the deliberate establishment, maintenance and regeneration of stands containing more than one tree species. This approach contrasts with single-species plantations and aims to harness complementary functional traits of different trees to bolster ecosystem resilience, enhance productivity and sustain diverse taxa. By blending species with contrasting growth rates, crown architectures and successional roles, managers can moderate pest outbreaks, buffer against climate extremes and maintain habitat heterogeneity. The dynamics of biodiversity in these stands emerge from interactions among canopy structure, soil processes and understorey communities. In boreal and temperate contexts, mixtures of conifers and broadleaves have been shown to support richer assemblages of birds, invertebrates and ground flora than pure stands. Silvicultural options range from planting and thinnings to soil scarification that promotes natural regeneration. Juvenile stand management, such as pre-commercial thinning, can shape competitive hierarchies to maintain desired species proportions. Globally, mixed-species systems are receiving growing attention for their capacity to reconcile wood production with conservation and climate mitigation objectives.
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Mixed-Species Forest Management and Biodiversity Dynamics publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in mixed-species forest management and biodiversity dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Basal area: Cross-sectional area of tree stems per unit ground area, used to quantify species dominance in a stand.
Pre-commercial thinning: Silvicultural removal of selected trees in young stands to improve growth conditions for retained trees.
Understorey: Vegetation layer beneath the forest canopy, including shrubs, herbs and regenerating seedlings.
Rotation: Planned interval between tree planting and final harvest in production forestry.
Functional redundancy: Presence of multiple species performing similar ecological roles, contributing to ecosystem stability.
References
- What is the potential for replacing monocultures with mixed-species stands to enhance ecosystem services in boreal forests in Fennoscandia?. Forest Ecology and Management (2021).
- Scenario analysis of planting density and pre-commercial thinning: will the mixed forest have a chance?. European Journal of Forest Research (2016).
- Natural Regeneration on Planted Clearcuts—The Easy Way to Mixed Forest?. Open Journal of Forestry (2016).
- Growth Dynamics of Young Mixed Norway Spruce and Birch Stands in Finland. Forests (2022).
- Current state of mixed forests available for wood supply in Finland and Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research (2023).
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