Finnish forest-related laws need to acknowledge climate change risks and integrate adaptive strategies to enhance resiliency

Abstrat Forests provide critical ecosystem services, including soil protection, water regulation, biodiversity conservation, and absorbing carbon dioxide emissions. Forest resilience to climate change is crucial to sustaining these ecosystems. Here, we aim to review to what extent current forest leg...

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Main Authors: Tahamina Khanam, Marina Peris-Llopis, Xiaoqian Xu, Blas Mola-Yudego, Leena Leskinen, Frank Berninger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Communications Earth & Environment
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02284-3
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author Tahamina Khanam
Marina Peris-Llopis
Xiaoqian Xu
Blas Mola-Yudego
Leena Leskinen
Frank Berninger
author_facet Tahamina Khanam
Marina Peris-Llopis
Xiaoqian Xu
Blas Mola-Yudego
Leena Leskinen
Frank Berninger
author_sort Tahamina Khanam
collection DOAJ
description Abstrat Forests provide critical ecosystem services, including soil protection, water regulation, biodiversity conservation, and absorbing carbon dioxide emissions. Forest resilience to climate change is crucial to sustaining these ecosystems. Here, we aim to review to what extent current forest legislation in Finland supports the adaptation of forests to climate change. We also reviewed non-binding legal documents such as forest strategies and government guidelines. Finnish forest laws addressed selection of genetic material for forest regeneration as well as the management of forest after abiotic damages. Climate change was not clearly mentioned in the laws. Current strategic documents assume that continuing  existing forest management practices is sufficient to cope with climate change effects on forests. Overall, the present Finnish forest norms predominantly rely on a perception of low climate risk and business-as-usual management approach can sufficiently address the challenges posed by climate change. We strongly suggest that the Finnish forest norms need to adopt a comprehensive approach that acknowledges the potential risks of climate change and integrates adaptive strategies into forestry practices to enhance climate resilience.
format Article
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issn 2662-4435
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series Communications Earth & Environment
spelling doaj-art-038f29a1573246a09dd735dae3215d3e2025-08-20T01:47:30ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-04-016111010.1038/s43247-025-02284-3Finnish forest-related laws need to acknowledge climate change risks and integrate adaptive strategies to enhance resiliencyTahamina Khanam0Marina Peris-Llopis1Xiaoqian Xu2Blas Mola-Yudego3Leena Leskinen4Frank Berninger5Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern FinlandSchool of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern FinlandCollege of Forestry, Northwest A&F University (NWAFU)School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern FinlandFinnish Forest Center-MetsäkeskusDepartment of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern FinlandAbstrat Forests provide critical ecosystem services, including soil protection, water regulation, biodiversity conservation, and absorbing carbon dioxide emissions. Forest resilience to climate change is crucial to sustaining these ecosystems. Here, we aim to review to what extent current forest legislation in Finland supports the adaptation of forests to climate change. We also reviewed non-binding legal documents such as forest strategies and government guidelines. Finnish forest laws addressed selection of genetic material for forest regeneration as well as the management of forest after abiotic damages. Climate change was not clearly mentioned in the laws. Current strategic documents assume that continuing  existing forest management practices is sufficient to cope with climate change effects on forests. Overall, the present Finnish forest norms predominantly rely on a perception of low climate risk and business-as-usual management approach can sufficiently address the challenges posed by climate change. We strongly suggest that the Finnish forest norms need to adopt a comprehensive approach that acknowledges the potential risks of climate change and integrates adaptive strategies into forestry practices to enhance climate resilience.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02284-3
spellingShingle Tahamina Khanam
Marina Peris-Llopis
Xiaoqian Xu
Blas Mola-Yudego
Leena Leskinen
Frank Berninger
Finnish forest-related laws need to acknowledge climate change risks and integrate adaptive strategies to enhance resiliency
Communications Earth & Environment
title Finnish forest-related laws need to acknowledge climate change risks and integrate adaptive strategies to enhance resiliency
title_full Finnish forest-related laws need to acknowledge climate change risks and integrate adaptive strategies to enhance resiliency
title_fullStr Finnish forest-related laws need to acknowledge climate change risks and integrate adaptive strategies to enhance resiliency
title_full_unstemmed Finnish forest-related laws need to acknowledge climate change risks and integrate adaptive strategies to enhance resiliency
title_short Finnish forest-related laws need to acknowledge climate change risks and integrate adaptive strategies to enhance resiliency
title_sort finnish forest related laws need to acknowledge climate change risks and integrate adaptive strategies to enhance resiliency
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02284-3
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