Role of Wood Production in Ecosystem Management : Proceedings of the Sustainable Forestry Working Group at the IUFRO All Division 5 Conference, Pullman, Washington, July 1997

The presentations at this symposium discussed concepts of ecosystem management and sustainability as viewed by various levels of government and private land managers. The theme was to integrate ecology, silviculture, forest operations, wood products, and economics to find ways to develop healthy sustainable ecosystems under financially sound management practices. Speakers discussed ways to manage disturbance to create landscapes with the desired level of diversity and resilience to fire, disease, and insects. Others identified technical aspects of improving the options for producing wood and promoting healthy ecosystems. The feasibility of the various modes of forest operation were considered along with methods to evaluate the financial aspects of activities in different stand types. Lastly, the concept of sustainability was discussed, both in theory and through case studies. A full paper is presented for the majority of presentations; an abstract is included for others.