Sustainability in managed forests of Central Europe

Here we investigate the concept of sustainability in forestry, using the central European forests as an example and applying the Rio criteria of sustainability. We come to the conclusion that European forests are generally sustainably managed with respect to the wood economics. However, with respect to wood volumes that are promoted to increase for climate mitigation, the European forest become unsustainable. They are also unsustainable with respect to fulfilling social demands due to the ever-increasing wishes by society. Biodiversity is often higher in sustainably managed than in unmanaged forests, which could be unsustainable due to the formation of hybrids. In conclusion, whatever the definition of sustainability is, we have put ourselves and the forests in a position where sustainability is just impossible.