What’s the relationship between preserving and managing forest ecosystem services (FES) and having a forest with positive economic and social impacts?
In the age of Anthropocene forests have a different meaning to society and the world. In our understanding managing FES under the flag of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) means preserving these forests and assuring the forests values to society’s needs. As the human needs are raising, as social impacts are getting more important and as the interlinkages between forests and society are getting more intense there will emerge new economic solutions to the challenges of the commons.

Which are the paths to innovate on FES and how are you preparing/doing them?
The path to innovation is a combination of preciseness (what services for whom exactly?), adapted management (what forest regime with what appropriate measures?), creativity (using also new techniques) and communication (what benefits for whom?).

In your opinion, are we close to the transition from a fossil-based economy towards a bioeconomy that is based on the entire spectrum of FES? If not, what do you think that is still missing?
The ideal of nature-based-solutions and bioeconomy are in the air. They still have to be put into practice. To get there the direct involvement of “big players” such as big industries or banks for example is needed.

What kind of benefits, meaning cultural, spiritual, health-wise, emotional and landscape can people obtain from forests?
If you have a look into literature you will find around 50 to 60 ecosystem services and many more benefits deriving from them.