This book is an attempt at quantifying 'Total Economic Value' (TEV) of Mediterranean forests across 18 countries. TEV represents the ways in which a natural resource, such as a forest, is valuable to people. Mediterranean forests have always been managed for multiple users, not just timber harvesting. The many benefits from forests include timber, non-timber products such as cork and pine kernels, watershed and soil protection, biodiversity values and recreation. Pastoral grazing regimes have also interacted with forest management for centuries.
The book is made up of three sections: the first sets the historical context; the second presents country studies, from Algeria to Turkey to Slovenia, covering 18 countries. The third part discusses the institutional constraints on forest management, opportunities and initiatives for participatory management and ownership and the need for an international agreement on Mediterranean forests.