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Contents : Critique of Silviculture: Managing for Complexity K. David Coates1 Klaus J. Puettmann2 and Christian Messier3 1 British Columbia Forest Service Bag 6000 Smithers British Columbia V0J 2N0 Canada. Dave.Coates@gov.bc.ca 2 Oregon State University 321 Richardson Hall Corvallis OR 97331-5752 U.S.A. klaus.puettmann@oregonstate.edu 3 Universit du Qu bec Montr al D partement des sciences biologiques C.P. 8888 Succursale CentreMontr al Qu bec H3C 3P8 Canada messier.christian@uqam.ca The talk reviews basic aspects of silviculture and explains how the traditional strengths of silviculture are becoming limitations as silviculture has to respond to society demanding a more diverse set of benefits from forests and as we learn more about the importance of diversity on ecosystem functions and processes. In contrast the talk explains how other fields specifically ecology and complexity science have developed in attempts to understand the diversity of nature and the variability and heterogeneity of ecosystems. We suggest that adopting some of the ideas and approaches from these two other fields can be helpful in furthering a silviculture aimed at maintaining resilient ecosystems. Specifically the science of complexity has developed an understanding about characteristics of complex adaptive systems that allow such systems to be responsive and adapt to changing conditions. This talk is an effort to expose silviculture to such concepts and suggests that complexity science can provide great insights into the workings of forest ecosystems that can be helpful for silviculture in addressing current and future challenges especially in the context of global changes. Specifically the list of characteristics of complex adaptive systems can be used by silviculturists to develop guiding principles for management. We think that adopting this approach is crucial for future conceptual development of the discipline. Managing forests as complex adaptive systems provides for greater resiliency and adaptability of ecosystems which is especially important in times of rapidly changing expectations from society and landowners rapid lost of primary forests and of altered disturbance regimes due to human impacts such as invasive species and climate change Key Words complex adaptive systems complexity science resilience diversity variability

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