Trade-offs between forest protection and wood supply in Europe.

Forest protection is one of the main measures to prevent loss of biological and landscape diversity. This study aimed to assess to what extent forests are currently protected and how felling restrictions affect the potential annual wood supply within 27 European Union member states, Norway, and Switzerland and to discuss trade-offs between intensified use of forest biomass and forest protection efforts. Protected forests covered 33 million ha (20% of total forest area) in 2005, of which 16 million ha was protected for biodiversity and the remaining area for landscape diversity.