E
cosystem
servicesdelivered
Provisioning
Regulation & maintenance
Cultural
Abiotic
C
ontribution
topolicyobjectives
Water Framework Directive
Floods Directive
Birds & Habitats Directive
2020 Biodiversity Strategy
P
otential
biophysicaleffects
Runoff
Reducing pollution
Soil conservation
Habitat
Climate Change
High
Low
Medium
None
CCF has the potential to increase
runoff storage
on a landscape scale since it avoids the reductions in evapotranspiration and canopy interception associated with clearcutting.
CCF may provide ecosystem service benefits associated with water storage and retention and reduce local flooding.
Intact forest canopy may be more efficient at
intercepting pollutants
and under some circumstances at reducing leakage of
mercury
, which is hypothetically related to
higher water tables associated with a reduction in evapotranspiration following clearcutting. Continuous growing forest may prevent
nitrogen
leaching to groundwater by taking
it up from the soil and atmosphere, which can improve groundwater chemical status. CCF will also reduce local sediment releases associated with clearcutting. The effect may be
apparent in large downstream rivers.
CCF may have positive
greenhouse gas benefits
through reduced physical disturbance of the soil, cooler soil temperatures resulting in lower rates of carbon mineralisation
and drier soils facilitating reduced leaching of organic carbon. If continuous cover forestry has mixed age stands, biodiversity benefits should be realized. The benefits of CCF for
habitat protection
will be greater than the possible habitat benefits of even age conifer monocultures.
CCF should also provide more
recreational
opportunities and have greater aesthetic and cultural value than single species monocultures.
