A new study has called for a ‘major overhaul’ of how Europe monitors the health and sustainability of its forests.
The study, Building synergies among ground-based forest inventorying and monitoring networks to meet scientific, political, and societal needs, which was published in Plants, People, Planet, calls for a harmonised, collaborative forest monitoring system across the continent, to enable policymakers to respond more effectively to escalating threats from climate change, extreme weather, and pollution.
‘On the frontline’
“Our forests are on the frontline of climate change. To manage and protect them effectively, we must unify our monitoring efforts,” commented Professor Sami Ullah, professor in Biogeochemistry at the University of Birmingham and a co-author of the study.
“This paper presents a crucial step forward in enabling European scientists to work together using harmonised data to inform forest policy, conservation, and carbon management strategies.”
The study was supported by the CLEANFOREST COST Action network, which includes more than 400 scientists from 38 countries.
Lack of integration
It notes that while strong national and international monitoring networks currently exist, a lack of integration and data sharing is hampering their efforts.
The creation of a pan-European alliance to foster collaboration on research infrastructures would encourage consistent monitoring protocols, and enhance data accessibility to meet policy and societal needs, it adds.
“Given the current momentum in European forest policy, now is the time to foster stronger synergies among Europe’s leading research infrastructures,” added Dr. Rossella Guerrieri, chair of CLEANFOREST.
The study’s recommendations stem from discussions held at the CLEANFOREST Annual Meeting in Thessaloniki in 2023. It is described as marking a ‘pivotal step toward aligning Europe’s scientific and policy communities to secure the future of its forests’. Read more here.
