Storm damage is not the only problem in European forests. Switzerland takes the best care of its forests, while out of the 19 countries ranked, Denmark was found to neglect its forests the most. Even the highest scoring country, Switzerland, only achieves 62 out of 100. The average score is 51. This is far too low.
All countries have serious improvements to make in many areas of forest care.
WWF European Forest Scorecards are based on international and regional agreements signed by European nations. They are made up of 99 separate elements covering a wide range of issues including timber and other production, environmental care and quality, social and cultural aspects of forest care, protected areas and pollution. There is a lack of semi-natural or undisturbed forest, said WWF, and an insufficient amount of protected forest. Too much pesticides and herbicides are being used on forests and there is a failure to leave dead wood in the forest, as a vital habitat for many animals and plants. Top-ranked Switzerland scored 62 out of a possible 100 points, and Finland 61.