REVIEW article
Front. For. Glob. Change
Sec. Forest Management
Sycamore Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and Global Climate Change: A New Perspective for Sustainable Forestry
Provisionally accepted
Zdeněk Vacek1
Stanislav Vacek1
Jakub Černý2,3*
Jan Cukor1,3
Michal Kuběnka4
Josef Gallo1Václav Trojan1Ivan Lukáčik5Igor Štefančík6Ivo Králíček7- 1Ceska zemedelska univerzita v Praze, Prague, Czechia
- 2Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czechia
- 3Vyzkumny ustav lesniho hospodarstvi a myslivosti, Prague, Czechia
- 4Univerzita Pardubice Fakulta ekonomicko-spravni, Pardubice, Czechia
- 5Technicka Univerzita vo Zvolene, Zvolen, Slovakia
- 6Narodne Lesnicke Centrum, Zvolen, Slovakia
- 7Univerzita Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
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Global climate change is a major challenge for forestry because it fundamentally alters the growth conditions of tree species. Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.), often overlooked in forest management, is increasingly recognized as a valuable species for sustainable forestry in Central Europe. This tree species offers a unique combination of high economic and ecological value, characterized by rapid juvenile growth, abundant natural regeneration, and adaptability to diverse environmental conditions, including mountainous regions. Its contribution to biodiversity, nutrient cycling and soil stabilization underlines its ecological importance. Despite its many advantages, sycamore maple faces significant threats from global climate change, such as prolonged drought and increased susceptibility to pathogens. Nevertheless, its genetic diversity and phenotypic plasticity allow it to thrive in diverse habitats, including areas affected by human activities. This review synthesizes current knowledge of the species distribution, site requirements, silviculture, and associated threats and provides an economic evaluation of sycamore maple wood assortments. Its wood is highly valued for its exceptional versatility and quality, underlining its economic attractiveness. To maximize its potential, effective forest management practices are essential. These include strategies such as establishing mixed stands and implementing careful regeneration techniques to ensure the species' resilience in the face of climate change. By incorporating ecological, economic, and climate-resilience perspectives, this review demonstrates the vital role of sycamore maple in sustainable forestry and biodiversity conservation in Central Europe. The results highlight its ecological and adaptive capacity and economic viability as a resource for future forest ecosystems.
Keywords: ecological valence, Forestry economics, silviculture, threats and diseases, timber production
Received: 23 Oct 2025; Accepted: 19 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Vacek, Vacek, Černý, Cukor, Kuběnka, Gallo, Trojan, Lukáčik, Štefančík and Králíček. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jakub Černý
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.