Four main conclusions can be drawn from this review which focuses mainly, but not exclusively, on narrow-sense or biological sustainability, conifers, and developing countries.
1. Plantations and plantation forestry practices do affect sites and under certain conditions may cause deterioration, but they are not inherently unsustainable. Care with harvesting, conservation of organic matter and management of the weed environment are critical features to minimise nutrient loss and damage to the soil.2. Plantations are at risk from pest and diseases. The history of plantation forestry suggests that most risks are containable with vigilance and underpinning of sound biological research.
3. Measurements of yield in successive rotations of trees suggest that, so far, there is no significant or widespread evidence that plantation forestry is unsustainable in the narrow-sense. Where yield decline has been reported poor silvicultural practices and operations appear to be largely responsible.
4. Several interventions in plantation silviculture point to increasing productivity in the future, providing management is holistic and good standards maintained. Genetic improvement in particular offers the prospect of substantial and long-term gains over several rotations.
