The Impact of Forest Management Strategies on Ecosystem Services in China

Forest ecosystems are vital for a multitude of ecosystem services including timber provision, climate change mitigation, local climate regulation, and provision of habitat for biodiversity. However, previous studies have primarily focused on individual ecosystem service indicators, with limited attention to the underlying biophysical mechanisms. Investigating multiple services under diverse strategies is critical for assessing their impacts on forest ecosystems. Therefore, in this study, we used the global dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS to simulate the temperate forests in China under scenarios of natural succession and forest management strategies. The natural succession refers to forest regeneration without any human intervention. We analyzed multiple ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, timber provision, water retention, and biodiversity. We found that (1) under management, forests exhibited short-term higher timber yields and economic benefits, but natural succession maintained higher long-term carbon sequestration; (2) density-based management strategies increased timber production and accelerated the forest regeneration in the short term. However, these activities temporarily increased evapotranspiration and reduced biodiversity due to habitat disturbance, which then affected ecosystem services, especially at the initial stages of harvesting; (3) integrated optimization strategies, focusing on tree species, density, and age structure, can optimize forest structure and enhance the multifunctional ecosystem services in the long term. Our study provides valuable insights into the diverse impacts of the management strategies on ecosystem service provision, offering guidance to policymakers and local stakeholders in balancing ecological conservation and economic priorities through sustainable forestry practices.