Potential consequences of a rapid transition from rotation forestry to continous cover forestry in Sweden

In the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 continuous cover forestry (CCF) is promoted, while rotation forestry (RF) is recommended only if required by forest health or environmental reasons. RF is the current practice on about two thirds of the EU forests. The envisioned shift toward CCF will have significant implications for Europe's forests and the industries. Using Sweden as a case, we simulated two scenarios: RF as a continued practice and a rapid transition to CCF. The results show that RF would ensure an even wood flow and slightly increasing harvest levels over the 50 years period. In contrast, the annual harvest in CCF exhibited significant variation, ranging from 50% to 108% of the RF harvest in the same year. This variation in harvest outcomes for CCF can be largely attributed to both economic and legal constraints during the transition from RF to CCF. As a result, the growing stock in CCF increased, allowing the forest to serve as a significant carbon sink. During the transition period, the ratio of pulpwood to sawlogs fluctuated for CCF, while it remained stable for RF. Consequently, the volume of sawlogs harvested under CCF was 86% of that harvested under RF.