Stakeholders' perspectives on barriers and pathways toward the diversification of planted forests

Mixed planted forests (MPFs) are often considered more resilient to climate change and provide greater environmental benefits than monocultures. Yet, monocultures dominate tree plantation systems globally. Here, we examined the motivations, barriers, and opportunities that affect forest stakeholders' adoption of MPFs across four countries with strong yet distinct forest sectors: Brazil, France, Portugal, and Sweden. We conducted 81 semi-structured interviews with forest owners,  company employees, and associations involved in forest management. We found that the primary motivation for adopting MPFs is to reduce vulnerability to climate change-related risks. However, the increased management complexity resulting from uneven growth rates among species is an important barrier. Economic constraints, including higher costs and undeveloped markets for alternative species, alongside governance challenges such as limited technical expertise and entrenched monoculture practices further hinder adoption. Possible pathways to diversification include capacity building, management strategies, and policy incentives, promoting more sustainable, climate-resilient, and future-proof forestry practices.