Conceptual Ambiguities and Practical Challenges of Ecological Forestry: A Critical Review

Although the importance of science is widely acknowledged among forestry researchers and practitioners, the
normative and ethical foundations of forest management remain generally neglected. To illustrate this trend and
explain why it is problematic, we discuss the example of “ecological forestry,” currently being proposed as a
strategy and indeed a philosophy, of sustainable multiple-use forest management. We briefly summarize the
theoretical underpinnings and conceptual development of ecological forestry, before critically examining the roots
and implications of its pervasive normative and ethical ambiguities. Without clarification, these ambiguities create
conceptual challenges that preclude a clear understanding of what ecological forestry is or aspires to achieve,
allowing for a problematic range of variability in how it can be applied. We suggest that these conceptual
ambiguities and practical challenges are not unique to ecological forestry and that any cohesive, enduring
philosophy for sustainable natural resource management and conservation requires clear normative and ethical
foundations.
Keywords: ecological forestry, conservation ethics, natural resource management, intrinsic value, normative