Sustainable management of Mediterranean planted coniferous forests: An Israeli definition

The definition of sustainable forest management ISM in Israel is unique, because the majority of its forests are constructed and the availability of natural or historical forest references to serve as benchmarks is very limited. The aim of this article is to propose a definition and a suitable framework for the sustainable management of Mediterranean planted coniferous forests (MPCF) in Israel. We consider the unique historical and ecological characteristics of the MPCF and discuss their implications for SFM. We propose a list of indicators specifically designed to suit the MPCF and a framework for evaluating sustainability according to forest objectives. We discuss the possibility of adopting a more extensive management scheme based on natural processes of regeneration and succession. Our approach, which is based on the definition of forest objectives, on one hand, and the understanding of the local ecological and socioeconomical conditions, on the other hand, may be appropriate for SFM in other constructed forests throughout the world.