The statement describes the scientific breakthroughs that need to be achieved during the next decade to foster an improved, and more directly applicable, knowledge on how trees and forests react to environmental changes – with climate and global change obviously looming large in the landscape.
Forest science actions for the next decade we have identified are:
- Analysing resilience of forests to climate and global change
- Including social sciences in forestry
- Fostering analysis on biotic interactions
- Monitoring and managing biodiversity
- Investigating the pro and cons of assisted migration (AM) and assisted gene flow (AGF)
- Fostering adaptation through breeding for the new world
- Forests as a source of climate change mitigation
- Understanding genetic diversity at multiple spatial scales.
With this statement we wish to contribute to the debate on the steering of science in the European as well as larger research community on tree biology and forestry.
This requires a joint effort and engagement of academia with industry, foresters, citizens, non-governmental organisations and policy makers.
The next meeting of the Tree and Forest Working Group will build on this statement and will be announced by the WG chairs.
Looking forward to further collaborating with you in the Tree and Forest Biology and Biotechnology WG,
Ivan, Elina, Berthold and Karin
Tree and Forest WG co-chairs: Ivan Scotti, Elina Oksanen, Berthold Heinze
EPSO Executive Director: Karin Metzlaff
Click here to read: Full ‘EPSO Tree and Forest Biology and Biotechnology statement’
Contacts:
EPSO Tree and Forestry WG chairs:
Ivan Scotti, URFM, INRAE, FR
Elina Oksanen, University of Eastern Finland
Berthold Heinze, BFW Austrian Research Centre for Forests
EPSO: Karin Metzlaff, EPSO Executive Director