The silviculture of transformation — a commentary

The present trend towards transformation of forests is the result of public dissatisfaction with the appearance and perceived unnaturalness of plantations. Many foresters are reacting to this political pressure by pursuing a complete shift from plantations to single-tree selection forestry. Many other options exist that can provide the structural variability desired while using simpler management strategies and our existing knowledge of even-aged stands. These include systems to produce two- or three-aged stands, or enhancing the variability of existing even-aged stands.