Forests are essential for climate change mitigation efforts, but they also require adaptation to future global change. Furthermore, forests offer numerous ecosystem services that must not be neglected in forest planning. This project aims to integrate the diverse demands on forest, by developing strategies for multi-functional, climate-resilient forests in Europe under climate change.
Foresight for forests – 3FOR
Forests play a critical role in climate change mitigation, not only through carbon sequestration but also by providing wood products that can replace carbon-intensive materials. Beyond their role in mitigation, forests also offer habitats for numerous species and provide critical ecosystem services, including local climate regulation, wood production, and recreation.
However, as the global climate changes, forests also require adaptation, for instance through the promotion of more diverse, mixed forests. In Europe, the importance of balancing these various demands on forests is reflected in recent legislation and policy strategies, including the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030, and regulations governing the carbon sink within the land sector.
Addressing these diverse demands presents a complex challenge. Furthermore, the decisions made today regarding forest management will have long-term implications, yet the future conditions under which these forests will grow remain uncertain. The project addresses this challenge by developing forest management portfolios designed to provide multiple ecosystem services—such as climate change mitigation, wood production, local climate regulation, and biodiversity protection—while remaining viable under a wide range of climate scenarios. This approach aims to ensure that these strategies will be effective in the future and that risks are diversified.
The project team around Prof. Anja Rammig and Dr. Konstantin Gregor utilize the ecosystem model LPJ-GUESS and robust multi-criteria optimization to achieve this. Their project will include the implementation of new species into the model, along with improved processes, for instance the representation of drought impacts. They will run optimizations for various focus regions across Europe, tailoring strategies to the specific goals and complexities of each region. Ultimately, they also intend to apply their methodology to reforestation projects in collaboration with Earthshot Labs PBC, developing strategies that not only address climate impact but also enhance other ecosystem services and benefit local communities.
The 3FOR project will engage with practitioners and policy makers through collaborative workshops, allowing us to understand their priorities early on. By working with the Climate Media Factory, the goal is to communicate the project findings to forest managers and forest owners, helping to translate these insights into practice and providing science-based guidelines for climate-smart forestry practices, and practitioner-endorsed support for policy making.
