Managing coppice forests in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Coppice forests cover 39 % of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s forest area and represent a major resource for timber production. Using national forest inventory data, we (i) evaluate options for converting coppice stands to high forest, (ii) model their development under alternative silvicultural pathways for the next 50 years, and (iii) quantify the associated carbon-sequestration potential. The simulations for assessing the transformation potential of coppice forests were restricted to productive coppice stands of good quality, which exhibited a strong response to different management options. The results suggest that selective thinning consistently produced the highest merchantable volume increment and carbon sequestration. It also shows that sustainable harvesting can be increased from 1 m³ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (current average cut) to about 5–7 m³ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, while maintaining or even enhancing above-ground carbon stocks. The no-management scenario accumulated the largest standing volume (>500 m³ ha⁻¹) and the highest carbon stocks but showed a decline in volume increment and carbon sequestration.In contrast, active management enhances sequestration, resulting in an additional 0.146 Mt C of carbon uptake when aggregated across the full area suitable for management, relative to the unmanaged scenario.