Les sylvicultures des forêts de production résineuses : en perpétuelle évolution ?

This article deals with changes in silvicultural practices, in particular for pine and spruce. Silvicultural practices for production are the main topic of the article but other functions are dealt with as the multi-functional approach is predominant in France. For instance, uneven-aged silvicultural systems have gained considerable ground, particularly using deciduous species, in response to a demand from society (stability, landscapes), but which in the case of softwoods may be in contradiction with optimal, highly mechanised silvicultural practices. Another remarkable change is the wood industry’s demand for increasingly small diameters, which is also offers a means for adapting forests to climate change. But this trend is controversial. The revisiting of silvicultural methods that began in 1990 remains topical, with a view to establishing stands that are less capital-intensive and more mixed. However, the implementation of these methods has changed. Diversification of silvicultural practices might be further broadened by production models for medium-diameter trees with very little tapering.