Abstract ID: 3.12398 | Accepted as Talk | Poster | TBA | TBA

In recent years, Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF) has emerged as an innovative approach for sustainable forest management, aiming to enhance forest resilience, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and balance the provision of ecosystem services in the face of climate change threats. This study employs a composite Climate-Smart Index (ICSF) to assess CSF in long-term experimental plots in Bavaria, characterized by Norway spruce and European beech with different silvicultural treatments (e.g., low thinning, strong thinning, no thinning) and species mixing. Using historical data, the ICSF index allows us to compare these management options in terms of mitigation and adaptation over time. The study aims to answer the following questions: (i) which forest types have higher levels of smartness) (ii) how do different management options affect the ICSF over time? (iii) which indicators have the greatest influence on ICSF trends? The approach includes the (i) selection, (ii) normalization, (iii) weighting, and (iv) aggregation of CSF indicators. Eight indicators were selected and assessed for each plot (i.e., carbon stock, growing stock, diameter distribution, tree species composition, slenderness coefficient, forest damage, increment and felling, and regeneration). The Analytic Hierarchy Process was employed to weigh the indicators according to the preferences of CSF-expert stakeholders at both indicators and criteria levels. Results indicate that mixed forests show higher smartness than monospecific forests, particularly due to greater adaptation capacity. Among management treatments, low thinning enhances smartness in beech forests, however differences in thinning intensity within the same species do not significantly impact the index. This suggests that tree species composition plays a more decisive role in determining forest smartness than silvicultural practices. Additionally, carbon stock, growing stock, and roundwood production emerge as the most influential indicators shaping smartness trends over time. This study will provide valuable insights for forest managers and policymakers, helping them to implement more effective strategies for the sustainable management of forests in the context of climate change.