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  • Glossary item | 20 Mar 2025

Plantation forest

Bioeconomy
A planted forest that is intensively managed and meets, at planting and stand maturity, all the following criteria: one or two species, even age class, and regular spacing; it includes short rotation plantations for wood, fibre and energy, and excludes forests planted for protection or ecosystem restoration, as well as forests established through planting or seeding, which at stand maturity resemble or will resemble naturally regenerating forests.
 
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 2023 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation and repealing Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 (Text with EEA relevance)
 
Source category: EU Legislation
 
Forest stands established by planting or/and seeding in the process of afforestation or reforestation. They are either: A) of introduced species (all planted stands), or B) intensively managed stands of indigenous species which meet all the following criteria: one or two species at plantation, even age class, regular spacing. It excludes stands which are established as plantations but which have been without intense management for a significant period of time; these should be considered semi-natural.
 
EEA, European Environment Agency, Glossary, accessed 20 March 2025
 
Source category: Agency Documents