Climate change adaptation strategies in forest management: use of a decision support system for a district forest plan

The forest planning understood as mere management of stands for wood production has currently lost, compared to the past, its relevance and application possibilities; therefore, it is necessary to focus on the multifunctional services of forests. Here we present a synthesis of a district forest plan which has been developed through five pillars: (a) mapping of potential forest ecosystem services, (b) involving local stakeholders and experts, (c) exploring strategic scenarios of forest yield, (d) mapping homogeneous forest zones, and (e) capitalising the knowledge of forest working plans. The experts contributed through a decision support system NetSyMoD (Network Analysis-Creative System Modelling-Decision Support) which helps the decision process in the assessment of the scenarios of forest yield. It was possible to appreciate that an increase of yield suits well to climate adaptation in some forest zone and with the contents of forest working plans. This approach may be replicated in other forest districts where there is an history in the application of silvicultural control methods.