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99-3 | 2011
La forêt sur le devant de la scène : une ressource naturelle témoin de notre temps ?

Focus on forests: a natural resource and mirror on our time?

This special issue of the Journal of Alpine Research focuses on the forest, a long-standing natural resource that is back in the spotlight. The forest’s multiple and increasingly important roles have been the focus of a number of studies in recent years. Today, issues relating to future energy needs, the impact of climate change, and the conservation of biodiversity, have refocused interest on forests at the world scale. Thus the United Nations declared 2011 the International Year of Forests. At the local scale, there have also been clear signs of change in recent years: in France, both private and public stakeholders are taking action, with measures being introduced to improve forest management (Forest charters, Plans d’Approvisionnement Territoriaux (government initiatives to promote the development of wood energy supplies), and Schémas de desserte (forest access programmes). In this respect, the French Alpine areas have a special place on account of their topography, altitude and climate, characteristics that call for suitably adapted management methods. The forest is thus a mirror on our time on earth, on climate change, and on energy changes within our societies. It also structures the dynamics of our landscapes and provides a recreational space for today’s largely urban populations.

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