Dear Colleagues,

The boreal forest encircles the northern portions of the earth and represents about 30% of the global forest area. This region has a short growing season with 6 to 8 months of below-freezing temperatures and a low diversity of tree species. However, it is an important source of lumber and wood fibre and provides many ecological and social services. Boreal forests also play important roles in climate regulation and are an important reservoir of carbon. Global climate change is having major impacts and, in addition to forestry, the mining and energy sectors are active in this region.

About two-thirds of the world’s boreal forests are managed. Management intensity varies from extensive management in Canada and Russia to intensive management in Fennoscandia.  Harvesting has increased the number of successional or second-growth forests in many areas, with associated changes in structural characteristics and biodiversity. Challenges to management of boreal forests include: slow growth rates, an abundance of poor soil conditions including imperfectly or poorly drained sites as well as rapidly drained sites and cold soils, wetting up of sites following harvest, remoteness, and high costs. A range of silvicultural practices, including draining, mechanical site preparation, prescribed burning, planting, thinning, and cleaning, are applied. Both even-aged and uneven-aged systems are applied, with stand and site characteristics and other factors influencing the choice of system.

A special issue of Forests entitled "Silviculture and Management of Boreal Forests" is in preparation.  The aim of this special issue is to document recent advances in silviculture and management of boreal forests with particular emphasis on managing boreal forests for a broad range of services and adaptation to climate change. We invite original research and review papers covering a range of topics relating to the silviculture and management of boreal forests that demonstrate and compare short-term and long-term outcomes of practices in relation to their impacts on tree growth, stand dynamics, yield, biodiversity, economics, resilience, and other values.

We have recently updated the deadline for manuscript submission to May 30, 2022.

Additional information, author instructions and the link for paper submission are available at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/Silviculture_Management_Boreal_Forests

Please contact me if you need any additional information