Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ONEforest (A Multi-Criteria Decision Support System For A Common Forest Management to Strengthen Forest Resilience, Harmonise Stakeholder Interests and Ensure Sustainable Wood Flows)
Período documentado: 2021-06-01 hasta 2022-11-30
Within the last decade, forests in all biogeographical regions of Europe have been affected by changing climate conditions and unprecedented natural disturbances. This has major implications for the overarching forest-wood value chain (FWVC), which includes forest management, wood supply, wood processing and rural (socioeconomic) development. However, the forest-based sector can greatly contribute to climate change mitigation trough carbon storage, the substitution of non-renewable resources and the sustainable use of wood-based materials. Apart from climate change mitigation, forests also have an important role in the transition from a fossil-based to a sustainable bio-based society, thus they are important drivers in bioeconomy transformation and realising the EU Green Deal. To support sustainability and bioeconomy, forest systems must be able to cope with the consequences of increased natural disturbances through climate change while providing forest ecosystem services (FES) at consistent or increased levels, considering different interests in, and perceptions of the forest.
ONEforest supports the deployment of regional forest management concepts that strengthen forest resilience and sustainable wood supply levering wood-based products. This is achieved by empowering actors to understand the far-reaching consequences of their decisions in a multi-criteria decision-making environment. ONEforest will provide successful solutions for reconciling the provision of various FES, such as the carbon storage potential in environmentally friendly forest-wood value chains based on stakeholder interests in order to provide optimised management solutions.
The overall objective of ONEforest is to develop a Multi-Criteria Decision Support System (MCDSS) that supports decision-making by assessing sustainable forest management (SFM) synergies and trade-offs of FES, reliable wood supply, and stakeholder interests through FWVC indicators of social, economic, and environmental dimensions. This will, through an interdisciplinary approach, contribute to achieving multi-functional resilient forestry and optimisation of the FWVC while considering the interests of participating stakeholders as well as supporting the development of bio-based society. ONEforest will cover different stakeholders of the FWVC, such as forest owners, industries, operators, logisticians, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), recreationists, etc. by multi-level stakeholder participation. The MCDSS will be provided as a programme to support decision-making at various levels.
ONEforest supports the deployment of regional forest management concepts that strengthen forest resilience and sustainable wood supply levering wood-based products. This is achieved by empowering actors to understand the far-reaching consequences of their decisions in a multi-criteria decision-making environment. ONEforest will provide successful solutions for reconciling the provision of various FES, such as the carbon storage potential in environmentally friendly forest-wood value chains based on stakeholder interests in order to provide optimised management solutions.
The overall objective of ONEforest is to develop a Multi-Criteria Decision Support System (MCDSS) that supports decision-making by assessing sustainable forest management (SFM) synergies and trade-offs of FES, reliable wood supply, and stakeholder interests through FWVC indicators of social, economic, and environmental dimensions. This will, through an interdisciplinary approach, contribute to achieving multi-functional resilient forestry and optimisation of the FWVC while considering the interests of participating stakeholders as well as supporting the development of bio-based society. ONEforest will cover different stakeholders of the FWVC, such as forest owners, industries, operators, logisticians, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), recreationists, etc. by multi-level stakeholder participation. The MCDSS will be provided as a programme to support decision-making at various levels.
The consortium of ONEforest defined the four case study regions as Estonia (boreal/hemiboreal forests), Hesse and Thuringia, Federal states in Germany (continental forest), Grison, Canton in Switzerland (alpine forest) and Catalonia (Mediterranean forest). The partners collected national forest inventory data and climate data in the four case study regions for simulating the forest development over the period of the next 30-40 years. The results of the simulations and further data (e.g. forest management strategies, forest operations, risk assessment) are the base for the Multi-Criteria Decision Support System (MCDSS). Current and perspective forest operations were analysed to show the different technical options for forest management.
The structure of the MCDSS was created and specific aspects of the FWVC (e.g. different forest management options, different assortments, neighbouring areas) were integrated in the first ideas of the MCDSS. Wood utilisation pathways and ecological impacts have been assessed by material flow analyses and life cycle assessments. This data will be used for the Dynamic Value Chain Model (DVCM). In order to analyse social impacts, comprehensive policy analysis and stakeholder analysis have been conducted. These analyses will be the starting point for the scenario development of the forest wood value chain (FWVC).
Different types of the top soil cover (TSC) and a soil conditioner are being engineered. The first trial run of the top soil cover was conducted on a test site in Germany and a life cycle assessment of the TSC was conducted to show risks during the implementation of the TSC.
Besides the scientific work, ONEforest has established several dissemination channels with a website and social media accounts. First publications are available and presentations were held at various occasions (conferences, workshops etc.).
The structure of the MCDSS was created and specific aspects of the FWVC (e.g. different forest management options, different assortments, neighbouring areas) were integrated in the first ideas of the MCDSS. Wood utilisation pathways and ecological impacts have been assessed by material flow analyses and life cycle assessments. This data will be used for the Dynamic Value Chain Model (DVCM). In order to analyse social impacts, comprehensive policy analysis and stakeholder analysis have been conducted. These analyses will be the starting point for the scenario development of the forest wood value chain (FWVC).
Different types of the top soil cover (TSC) and a soil conditioner are being engineered. The first trial run of the top soil cover was conducted on a test site in Germany and a life cycle assessment of the TSC was conducted to show risks during the implementation of the TSC.
Besides the scientific work, ONEforest has established several dissemination channels with a website and social media accounts. First publications are available and presentations were held at various occasions (conferences, workshops etc.).
ONEforest encompasses a number of innovative elements contributing to increase forest resilience and the development of sustainable and robust FWVCs. ONEforest will develop an MCDSS based on methods from operations research, for the direct and immediate use by stakeholders. The MCDSS includes ecological, economic and social target indicators. It is able to make the interlinkages detected in the system dynamics approach visible for stakeholders as trade-offs between the target indicators, ultimately presenting and aligning regionally prioritised management goals with suitable silvicultural concepts while visualising the impact of stakeholder decision making on the FWVC. The MCDSS which is delivered as a software application will allow stakeholders to understand the consequences of their decisions. From a stakeholder perspective this will be highly informative and will support currently challenged communication pathways between various interest groups along the FWVC. Impacts of silvicultural management concepts, wood supply and wood processing will be linked with wood flows, carbon emissions, costs and benefits, work effort and labour provision by developing a unique combination of MFA and streamlined LCAs/S-LCAs. This will allow the comprehensive evaluation of value adding networks, forming an unprecedented information basis for (i) regional development managers (politicians), (ii) company managers from the wood processing industry, (iii) forest manager and (iv) green financing companies by providing powerful support for decision making.
ONEforest develops a top soil cover (TSC) that will allow to seed trees on bare or devastated land (e.g. after forest fires) while simultaneously minimising surface water run-off and keeping the nutrient rich topsoil on site. The TSC also serves to increase the survival rate of planted trees, in particular in regions subject to droughts, by an enlarged water storage and reduced evaporation. In the past, silvicultural approaches have been developed to tackle such climate induced challenges, sometimes aided by fertilisation or the addition of organic amendments. However, the increasing severity of disturbances and increasingly dry conditions call for additional help to ensure successful forest regeneration and afforestation. It will contribute to (re-) plant and seed trees on degraded land to increase soil stability against landslides and erosion (high relevance for expected heavy rain events), to additionally sequester carbon during forest growth and to increase the portfolio for wood supply for a bioeconomy.
Overall, ONEforest delivers pioneer work by evaluating and demonstrating methods to bring together different interest groups (e.g. forest owner, society, industry) to agree on common forest management within a specific region. The ONEforest partners will formulate recommendations on methods and joint decision making that can be applied all across Europe and worldwide.
ONEforest develops a top soil cover (TSC) that will allow to seed trees on bare or devastated land (e.g. after forest fires) while simultaneously minimising surface water run-off and keeping the nutrient rich topsoil on site. The TSC also serves to increase the survival rate of planted trees, in particular in regions subject to droughts, by an enlarged water storage and reduced evaporation. In the past, silvicultural approaches have been developed to tackle such climate induced challenges, sometimes aided by fertilisation or the addition of organic amendments. However, the increasing severity of disturbances and increasingly dry conditions call for additional help to ensure successful forest regeneration and afforestation. It will contribute to (re-) plant and seed trees on degraded land to increase soil stability against landslides and erosion (high relevance for expected heavy rain events), to additionally sequester carbon during forest growth and to increase the portfolio for wood supply for a bioeconomy.
Overall, ONEforest delivers pioneer work by evaluating and demonstrating methods to bring together different interest groups (e.g. forest owner, society, industry) to agree on common forest management within a specific region. The ONEforest partners will formulate recommendations on methods and joint decision making that can be applied all across Europe and worldwide.