Charting Forestry's Uncertain Future

Ecological Forest Management marks a major transition in forestry and charts a new path forward. This is the fifth edition of the textbook Forest Management which has spanned 50 yr; the previous four editions under the lead authorship of L. S. Davis were founded on economic principles and emphasized longrange planning assuming a rather stable and predictable future. However, profound changes in forestry and its social and environmental contexts have forced change. The Pacific Northwest of the United States, home of the authors of this new text, has been a crucible of conflict and creativity in forest ecology and forest management, forging that change. Forests are increasingly viewed as complex ecosystems rather than simple collections of trees; topdown, governmental decisionmaking is giving way to more collaborative, inclusive, bottomup approaches; and uncertainty of future social and climate environments is more deeply embraced.