Demographic transition and forestry in Europe: exploring the nexus
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12899/asr-2709Keywords:
aging forest owners, aging workforce, rural land abandonment, silvicultureAbstract
Europe’s future is being shaped by a demographic transition of unprecedented scale, characterized by population ageing, a declining labour force, and the abandonment of rural areas in favour of urban centres. Within the forestry sector, these dynamics pose critical challenges, particularly in relation to ageing forest landowners and an increasingly elderly workforce. Despite their relevance, the interconnections between demographic change, spatial reorganization of population, and forest management remain insufficiently explored in the forestry literature. This concept note seeks to address this gap by identifying critical risks, emerging needs, and key research opportunities, and by proposing an evidence-based framework to support analysis and decision-making within this complex and evolving context.
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