Skip to Main Content
U.S. Forest Service
Caring for the land and serving people

United States Department of Agriculture

Home > Search > Publication Information

  1. Forest sustainability: an approach to definition and assessment at the landscape level.

    Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare on Twitter
    Dislike this pubLike this pub
    Author(s): Michael P. Amaranthus
    Date: 1997
    Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-416. Portland OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 14 p
    Publication Series: General Technical Report (GTR)
    Station: Pacific Northwest Research Station
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.2737/PNW-GTR-416
    PDF: View PDF  (10.0 MB)

    Description

    Forest sustainability is a concept for the desired condition of forest ecosystems all over the world. The essential aspects of sustainable forests differ tremendously, however, among peoples of the world. Parks and wilderness areas, wildlife preserves, watershed protection areas, multiple-use forestry, and short-rotation tree farming all are sustainable, from some viewpoints, when inflows and outflows balance over time. Sustainability needs to be defined to minimize conflict, confusion, and mistrust. For what, where, whom, and how long are forest values being sustained? One recommended approach is to assess sustainability at the landscape level and define the processes, structures, and resources needed to meet many of society’s objectives. A landscape-level example in the 200 000-hectare Applegate watershed in southwest Oregon uses four criteria as a measure of sustainability. With these criteria, management objectives, activities, and monitoring measures can be implemented across the watershed. Managers and policymakers must recognize that modern forest practices have a short history and there is little documentation of long-term effects. Increased efforts are needed for well-designed, long-term, and integrated approaches for monitoring forest sustainability.

    Publication Notes

    • You may send email to pnw_pnwpubs@fs.fed.us to request a hard copy of this publication.
    • (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)
    • We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
    • This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

    Citation

    Amaranthus, Michael P. 1997. Forest sustainability: an approach to definition and assessment at the landscape level. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-416. Portland OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 14 p

    Cited

    Google Scholar

    Keywords

    Keywords: Applegate watershed, landscape level, forest management, social values, spatial and temporal scales, sustainability

    Related Search

    XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
Jump to Top of Page
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/3246