Switzerland ranked highest of 20 countries graded by the World Wide Fund but scored only 62 points out of a possible 100. Denmark was the worst of the lot, scoring only 36 points. The report cards include detailed evaluations of each country's policies and management as well as the quality of its forests. The average score of 20 report cards was a humbling 51 points. This is far too low.
All countries have serious improvements to make in many areas of forest care.
The homework list runs the gamut of troubles, from management of resources to air pollution to soil erosion to the wholesale destruction of forest habitats. Only two percent of Europe's forests remain in their natural state. The emphasis seems to be on quantity of wood produced rather than quality. The report cited the refusal of foresters to allow dead wood to rot in the forest as a prime suspect in the destruction of vital habitat for plants and animals. According to the report, eastern Europe is generally no worse, and in some cases considerably better, than its western counterparts in protecting and caring for its forests.