Forest ecosystems represent a precious resource in the Carpathians, harbouring a wealth of ecological, economic and cultural values and Europe’s largest concentration of primary and old-growth forests. Over 200 species of plants are endemic only to this region and large, uninterrupted expanses of forests and inaccessibility provide refuge for some of the last remaining populations of large European mammal species, such as the lynx, river otter, grey wolf, woodland bison, red deer, moose, and brown bear.

Yet, Carpathian forests bear the legacy of a long history of intensive production-driven management dating to the 19th century and more significantly during the World Wars and the subsequent communist era, where large-scale timber extraction and clearing for agriculture were common, resulting in extensive deforestation. Even-aged, plantation style forest management practices with homogenized forest structure and composition tended to make Carpathian forests more vulnerable to large-scale tree mortality and dieback. 

Despite these attributes, the Carpathian forests carry the imprint of an extensive history marked by intensive production-focused management practices, beginning as far back as the 19th century and intensifying notably during the World Wars and the ensuing communist period. This era witnessed widespread activities such as massive timber extraction and the clearance of land for agriculture, leading to considerable deforestation. The adoption of even-aged, plantation-style forest management approaches, which resulted in uniform forest structures and compositions, increased the vulnerability of Carpathian forests.  

Historically and presently, forests and forestry have been vital to the natural and cultural heritage of the Carpathians. Forestry remains an important economic sector in the Carpathian countries, particularly in Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. However, as land ownership changed from state to private ownership in the 1990s, forest conservation and sustainable forest management have declined. Clear-cutting, intensive agriculture and climate change make these forests vulnerable to erosion, landslides, flooding, droughts and other extreme events. 

That is why the Article 7 of the Carpathian Convention asks the parties to support the use of forest management instruments and programmes in accordance with the sustainable forest management principles formulated at the international level.