Year of publication 2007

Forests often protect people and material assets from natural hazards, by preventing hazards or by reducing their impact. Protection forests are delineated on the basis of an assessment of the hazard potential, the damage potential and the potential effect of the forest. Deciding on the protective status of a forest is up to the authorities and not dealt with in these guidelines. Protection forest management is based on the assumption that there is a direct link between the level of risk and the state of a forest. The goal of protection forest management is to ensure a forest is as effective as possible in reducing potential damage due to hazards. This guide provides forestry practitioners with concrete assessment and decision aids for their daily work in the forest. It indicates the features of the forest that offer adequate protection against natural hazards in a natural way. It also contains instructions for checking the protective effect of maintenance measures. This guide provides forestry practitioners with concrete assessment and decision aids for their daily work in the forest. It indicates the features of the forest that offer adequate protection against natural hazards in a natural way. It also contains instructions for checking the protective effect of maintenance measures.