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)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2021-06-01 do 2022-11-30
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 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 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.