European Forest Reserves Workshop, 6-8 May, 1992, The Netherlands Kézirat, Wageningen

Forestry and society-oriented research on the history of virgin forests and their future needs
Forestry science has to investigate the nature of the forests. Yet it lacks a strong historical basis for this. New trends must be followed in basic forestry research:
- To study 'untouched' nature, in order the learn and to apply research findings - in forestry as well as in general. Forestry science must become an important part of basic sciences.
- To develop a new transfer of knowledge, a new public relations service, based on 'new' knowledge which tells us what forests really are. Forestry has to help build new paradigms.
The major duties and opportunities of forestry research include:
- saving virgin forests;
- establishing new forest reserves and creating an international network of such reserves;
- enhancing research in virgin forests as well as in forest reserves in general;
- organizing comparative research in forest reserves in a combined way, i.e. strengthering interdisciplinary field laboratory research;
- translating research findings so that they can be used by foresters and as general guidelines.
This article outlines some proposals based on existing research, expirience and practice.