Purpose of ReviewGremmeniella abietina is a destructive forest pathogen responsible for Scleroderris canker, shoot dieback, defoliation, and tree death in forests and tree nurseries. This review is aimed at providing a complete description of the fungus, its distribution, the conditions for its spread, and the impact of climate change and at summarising the relevant forest management methods. Due to the worldwide importance of the pathogen, a retrospective review is required to summarise the lessons learned in relation to the disease, considering application to future outbreaks.Recent FindingsWe revise available management methods, considering examples of control strategies, with special focus on the silvicultural approaches, and we also revise the recovery of the affected stands and the associated trade-offs. Forest disturbances such as pests and disease outbreaks are expected to be exacerbated by climate change, although the exact impact on all host-pathogen interactions remains unclear. In regions with a high risk of G. abietina epidemics, climate change is expected to affect the pathogen differently.SummaryGremmeniella abietina is a widely distributed forest pathogen in Europe and is also present in North America. Based on the conclusions reached in this review, forest stands may recover from pathogen outbreaks within 10 years, with considerable loss of growth and the risk of attack from secondary factors. Provenance selection is vital for preventing outbreaks. Climate change is expected to have different effects: in some areas, it is likely to increase the conditions conducive to the development of the fungus, while in others, it is likely to limit the spread because of high temperatures and low humidity. Preventing future outbreaks of this pathogen requires the use of mitigating strategies, together with forest monitoring, forecasting, and planning.

Purpose of ReviewBiodiversity is one of the most important features of forest ecosystems. One of the goals of Sustainable Forest Management is to reduce biodiversity disturbance, which can occur as a consequence of timber harvesting. The aim of this review was to define which silvicultural systems and forest operations can have an influence on forest tree biodiversity by summarising the findings of nearly 60 papers published in the last ten years (2013–2022).Recent FindingsIn natural forest ecosystems characterised by a high level of structural complexity, such as uneven-aged tropical forests, selective logging and retention forestry are, in general, suitable forms of intervention that have a limited impact on tree biodiversity. Forest operations, in particular, should be of low intensity and try to simulate as much as possible small-scale natural disturbances. Thinning has proved to be a valid treatment for managing tree biodiversity. However, it is important to shape the magnitude of thinnings according to the management aims. Limited removal is recommended in interventions for maintaining the current structure, and more extensive removal is appropriate in cases when a change in species composition is expected, e.g. in the conversion of planted coniferous stands to uneven-aged mixed or broadleaved stands. In addition, coppicing is suitable for maintaining tree biodiversity due to its effectiveness in fostering the presence of light-demanding tree species. Findings show that it is important to establish the right rotation age, considering that an excessively short period between coppicing interventions can be detrimental to functional biodiversity.Skid trails and landing sites represent suitable areas for the initial establishment of natural regeneration. However, generally, the level of biodiversity on these sites declines with time as a consequence of soil compaction, thus highlighting the importance of the forest infrastructure network planning.SummaryIn uneven-aged tropical forests, selective logging and retention forestry are the most suitable options for maintaining tree biodiversity. Thinning and coppicing help to manage biodiversity, whilst intensive thinning helps to change species composition. Skid trails and landing sites can support natural regeneration. Recommendations and management options were developed, as well as possible future research directions. The authors recommend that future studies should investigate how much tree biodiversity depends on different levels of harvesting technology applied within the same silvicultural treatment.

Purpose of ReviewIndigenous perspectives have often been overlooked in fire management in North America. With a focus on the boreal region of North America, this paper provides a review of the existing literature documenting Indigenous voices and the historical relationship of Indigenous peoples in northern North America to fire and landscapes that burn.Recent FindingsEarly research on the topic explored how Indigenous people used fire in the boreal forest, with most research coming out of case studies in northern Alberta. Emerging research in the last two decades has broadened the geographic focus to include case studies in Alaska, Ontario, Labrador, and other regions in North America. This broadening of focus has shown that the diversity of Indigenous peoples in North America is reflected in a diversity of relationships to fire and landscapes that burn. Of note is an emerging interest in Indigenous fire knowledge in the wake of settler colonialism.SummaryIndigenous peoples in the boreal forest have applied fire on their landscapes to fulfill numerous objectives for thousands of years. More than a tool, Indigenous peoples in the boreal view fire as an agent, capable of movement, destruction and creation, acting on the landscape to create order, within a living, connected environment. Unfortunately, restrictions on the application of Indigenous fire knowledge and practice initiated during early colonial times remains a contemporary challenge as well.

Purpose of the ReviewThe application of cut-to-length (CTL) technology for harvesting and processing timber from broadleaved tree species is a challenging process, due to thick branches, stem sweep, forks and high wood density. The objective of this review was to describe the current state of harvester use and characterise the effectiveness of mechanised forest operations for broadleaved and mixed forest stands in Europe, paying particular attention to productivity and product quality aspects. An additional aim was to identify the greatest difficulties associated with harvesting broadleaved tree species today and to indicate future challenges and areas for improvement.Recent FindingsAn interest in wider harvester use for broadleaved tree species started after the storm Lothar in France in 1999. Early experiences demonstrated that lower productivity is common when harvesting broadleaved tree species, due to limitations in delimbing and the high frequency of sweep. Initially, modifications were made to harvester heads, while a newly designed head (CTL 40 HW) was later developed within a European project in 2005–2007. Using various heads, very high productivity was achieved in some cases, but log recovery was unsatisfactory, with large tree tops left without delimbing. The delimbing was of lower quality and log length inaccuracy was observed, as well as economic losses due to damage to plywood caused by feed rollers. These issues resulted in a change in harvester head construction, including work on a patent for a head designed specifically for harvesting broadleaved tree species.SummaryThe harvester heads that have been developed to date for broadleaved tree species have mainly been used within Central Europe, where the high incidence of broadleaved tree species and their particular morphological features (thick branches and sweep) are a major challenge for CTL technology. There have been many research projects related to this issue: in the last 15 years, there were a few larger initiatives leading to the design and development of harvester heads for broadleaved tree species, with participation from institutions and universities in France, Germany and Poland. There are currently no ongoing initiatives, but the formation of new ones is strongly recommended because today’s forests have a growing share of broadleaved tree species and are being managed to an increasing extent with CTL technology.