Responding to climate change in forest management: two decades of recommendations

Recommendations for responding to climate change in forest management have proliferated over the past two decades. A systematic review of the scientific literature revealed that the majority of such recommendations (86%) focused primarily on maintaining existing ecological patterns and processes via either passive or active adaptation approaches, while 14% focused on transformation to new system configurations through active interventions. Most recommendations (69%) were general, non‐specific principles and derived from research conducted in North America or Europe. These findings highlight the need for (1) more actionable recommendations and diversification in geographic inquiry, specifically in Asia, Africa, Oceania, Latin America, and the Caribbean; (2) increased contributions from social science and mixed social–ecological inquiry; and (3) governance processes that enhance dialogue among stakeholders to better anticipate and navigate the trade‐offs implied by potential future forests in the decades to come.