Winnie the Pooh said that sometimes it is not enough to wait in a corner of the forest for others to come to you, but it is also necessary to get up and go directly to them. And they, this time, are the forests themselves [1].

The concept of Climate-Smart Forestry focuses precisely on forests, in a vision that is certainly anthropogenic, but aimed at fostering their vitality, productivity and well-being for present and future generations (of forests and humans). Climate-smart forestry, namely Mitigation, Adaptation, and Social Dimension, the three pillars of adaptive and sustainable forest management in the changing climate [2].

The link between forests and changing climate can be as trivial as effective: Forests absorb, store, and thus reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. However, this stock can only be truly effective if forests survive, indeed super-live, that is, know how to adapt to the new climate by providing ecosystem services (the benefits humans derive from natural systems such as forests) of increasing quality and quantity. 

Emblematic in this regard is the definition that describes “climate smartness” as the ability to manage current and future risks of climate change while taking advantage of them and opportunities [3].

Indeed, it is undisputed that climate change is happening, is altering the ecosystems around us and consequently our very lives. Actions to mitigate and slow down it are issues on the agenda. However, foreseeing the positive implications of the same, from which we can benefit, is equally important.  

What will the forests of the future look like? In silviculture, the study of forests always starts with three questions: who are you? where are you from? where are you going? That is, to study the forest’s structure, function, origin and purpose. Adaptation aims to create forests that maintain or strengthen their capacity to grow in present and future climatic conditions, ensuring resilience and resistance. This translates into a need for silviculture to foster forests that can also adapt to climate change-related disturbances, whether abiotic (landslides, avalanches, floods, fires) or biotic (diseases and pests). 

In practical terms, all this means trying to predict where and what the future forests will look like. Will the same species that lives in hilly areas today still be there or will it rise to higher elevations? Or perhaps northward? Will it be more affected by rising temperatures or changing precipitation patterns? Will it be able to withstand an extreme wind event or the swarming of a beetle? Generally speaking, silviculture today must aim to have forests that are rich in diversity, heterogeneous and not monospecific by promoting genetic, compositional, structural and functional differences with a high degree of resilience, contemplating non-native species if necessary and encouraging the migration of those present through landscape connectivity.

How can forests mitigate the effects of climate change? Well-adapted forests result in viable forests that can store carbon for decades. However, the carbon cycle should not end in the forest but result in long-term storage through by-products, both in terms of wood for structural purposes and in terms of bioenergy and wood substitution to materials with a higher carbon footprint.

What benefits do people derive from forests? This Social Dimension summarizes in anthropogenic terms everything that forests do. Compromised forest ecosystems result in negative economic and social consequences. In this sense, the economic dimension must not outweigh the social dimension, but rather they must become complementary to stimulate both forest productivity and ensure people’s well-being. Just as forests must adapt to sustain and survive the changing climate, people and all forest stakeholders must be able to cope with the new challenges that the climate presents.

Forests can maintain an assortment of ecosystem services if they are carefully managed, and this means that all stakeholders involved in forest management must be trained and informed about climate change and actions for adaptation to it and its mitigation. It is precisely the relationship between ecosystem services and economic-social factors that is the meeting point in supporting real Climate-Smart Forestry. Regulatory ecosystem services (such as water and erosion control) can mitigate the economic-social effects of climate change, such as floods and droughts. Similarly, supplying ecosystem services, such as food and fiber, can be alternative sources of revenue during extreme events. Finally, cultural ecosystem services contribute to good social adaptation in the face of climate change by promoting knowledge, enjoyment, and recreational use of forests.