NRP 73 | Forests and Their Services for People

Forest services & NRP 73 research projects

Forests provide a lot for nature and people, and the demand for so-called “forest services” is increasing. Only a resilient forest that is adapted to climate change can provide such services in the long term. Forests produce wood, sequester carbon, support biodiversity, filter water, protect the soil, provide space for recreation, and can reduce the risk of natural hazards. All these are examples of so-called “forest services”. Three research projects of the National Research Programme 73 “Sustainable Economy” (NRP 73) have investigated different forest services and their interactions. They wanted to find out where conflicts between forest services can arise, with which instruments they can be resolved, and how the provision of forest services can be promoted.

Watch main results of the projects:

Key messages

This video is a thematic synthesis of the three research projects and has the following main messages:

The demands on forests are increasing and cannot be satisfied always and everywhere.
Forest service demands can also conflict with each other, but there are solutions that are both economically and ecologically interesting.
To better include forest services in decision-making, the awareness for such services must be raised, and conflicts and synergies must be made more visible.
Sectors that want to use forest services need to coordinate their objectives.
Policy instruments need to be developed that support a sustainable forest management and promote specific forest services.