Influence of management on susceptibility of Nordic boreal forests to damage by natural disturbances

Natural disturbances are fundamental in shaping forest ecosystems, yet management decisions in production forests can aggravate or mitigate their impacts. Understanding the interplay between forest adaptation strategies and susceptibility to damage is important for sustainable forest management. Here, we review the scientific literature to explore the relationship between natural disturbances and the impact of forest adaptation strategies on the forest susceptibility to damage. To do so we reviewed seven different adaptation strategies (mixed-species stands, shorter rotations, longer rotations, few or no thinnings, logging residue removal, prescribed burning and uneven-aged forestry), and how they affect forest susceptibility to damage by ten different disturbances. Each of the strategies offers opportunities to improve the forest's resilience to damage in different ways and against specific disturbances. A combination of these strategies may have a greater impact on reducing forest susceptibility to damage. The review informs the development of adaptation strategies considering relevant forest characteristics coupled to natural disturbances.