About this Research Topic

Background

Forests of high naturalness (FHN - e.g. intact forest landscapes, primary forests, old-growth forests) maintain essential habitats and ecosystem services, supporting biodiversity and benefitting human societies. Their protection and conservation have therefore become essential issues at the international level, as they are often still threatened by human activities. Moreover, in recent decades, FHNs have been increasingly viewed as references for sustainable forest management and restoration strategies.

Many factors can help explain why some forests have remained with little or no impact from human activities while others have been heavily disturbed, including remoteness, limited accessibility, low economic value, low agricultural potential, or high cultural value. It is therefore not certain that FHNs are always representative of forests that would theoretically be found in landscapes defined by a larger human footprint.

Moreover, it is sometimes difficult to evaluate the degree of naturalness by using only the current forest features since traces of past human activities can be hard to identify. FHNs may thus be erroneously seen as intact legacies of the past. Similarly, the relevance of the FHNs as references for present and future landscapes is questionable in the perspective of climate change.

In this context, it is therefore important to look critically at FHNs. Many lessons and beneficial services can undoubtedly be gained from these ecosystems. However, it is necessary to be aware of the various limitations and biases that can influence the way we identify, perceive, manage, and protect them.

We especially, but not exclusively, welcome contributions related to the following topics:

• Impacts of direct and indirect anthropogenic disturbances on FHNs
• Representativity of FHNs in protected and unprotected landscapes
• Identification of the socio-economic factors that can support or threaten FHNs
• Human footprint on global distribution of FHNs
• Management, restoration and conservation lessons that can be drawn from FHNs
• Place of FHNs as references in a context of global change
• Valuing FHNs ecosystem services
• Place of FHNs in the collective culture; representation and influence on their management and protection

Keywords: Intact forest, primary forest, old-growth forest, naturalness, forest management, forest conservation, conservation pitfalls

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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