Periodic Reporting for period 2 - INFORMA (Science-based INtegrated FORest Mitigation mAnagement made operational for Europe)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
Forests are the largest terrestrial carbon sink that can be economically managed to fight climate change (CC).In this context, sustainable forest management (SFM) will become a key tool in the EU Green Deal to achieve economic growth decoupled from resource use.But essential forest functions are increasingly threatened by CC & natural disturbances and there is limited knowledge on the effects of forest management on the biophysical & biogeochemical fluxes exchanged land-atmosphere. The overall objective of the INFORMA project is hence to increase scientific knowledge on multi-purpose SFM in the context of CC using a multi-stakeholder approach.It will do by analysing trade-offs and synergies between different goals taking into account environmental integrity and climate feedbacks, social acceptability and economic viability of future EU forestry practices, including zero management options. It will also identify alternatives to retain carbon sinks, promote productivity, genetic diversity, biodiversity conservation, soil & water resources maintenance in the different EU bioregions. Objectives of INFORMA will 1) Quantify differences in key ecosystem functions affecting climate processes between managed and unmanaged EU forests; 2) Analyse socio-institutional patterns of innovative forest-based mitigation and adaptation strategies; 3) Explore management alternatives (including non-management) and simulate their effect on a range of ecosystem functions; and 4) Improve forest carbon certification for cost-effective operationalisation and integration of smart forestry practices. The main outputs of INFORMA will be regional best management practices, implementation pathways for the European forest sector, recommendations for improved forest carbon certification and for economic-institutional policy action
WP1.
T1.1 Completed: D1.1 submitted, Mi7 done.
T1.2 In progress: Mi2 developed; Mi9 delayed to Aug 2025; Mi14 delayed to Autumn 2025.
T1.3 In progress: Mi13 delayed to Autumn 2025.
T1.4 In progress: Mi4 developed; Mi18 partly done; D1.4 ongoing.
T1.5 Delayed: Mi3 done; Mi11–Mi12 partial.
WP2.
T2.1 Completed: D5 submitted.
T2.2 Completed: D6 submitted; Mi3 defined.
T2.3 Completed: geodatabase & remote sensing added.
T2.4 In progress: data analysis ends M42.
T2.5 Not started.
WP3.
T3.1 T3.2 T3.4 Completed.
T3.3 T3.6 Not started.
T3.5 Delayed: D13 preliminary; final before M42.
WP4.
T4.1 Completed.
T4.2 Delayed: joint protocol, first results; simulations ongoing, plan for joint & separate publications.
T4.3 Delayed: D17 draft submitted; update fall 2025.
T4.4 Completed: D18 submitted.
T4.5 In progress: model setup done; future runs ongoing; stakeholder loop delayed to autumn 2025.
T4.6 Not started.
WP5.
T5.1 Completed: D21 submitted.
T5.2 Delayed: inventories done; D22 preliminary; final M42.
T5.3 In progress: focus groups & summit session held; 2nd part to start Sept 2025 (M39).
T5.4 Not started.
WP6.
T6.1 In progress: D26 submitted; tracker updated; monthly EFI–UPV and bimonthly partner meetings.
T6.2 In progress: D30–D31 submitted; Climate Arena prep; raw material for videos; LinkedIn reinforced.
T6.3 In progress: D37 submitted; IPR group weakly active; draft IPR table prepared.
WP7.
T7.1 In progress: regular meetings, reports coordinated.
T7.2 In progress: monitoring meetings.
T7.3 In progress: contacts with sister projects.
T7.4 In progress: D42 submitted; D43 drafted; data protection intent signed.
T1.1 Completed: D1.1 submitted, Mi7 done.
T1.2 In progress: Mi2 developed; Mi9 delayed to Aug 2025; Mi14 delayed to Autumn 2025.
T1.3 In progress: Mi13 delayed to Autumn 2025.
T1.4 In progress: Mi4 developed; Mi18 partly done; D1.4 ongoing.
T1.5 Delayed: Mi3 done; Mi11–Mi12 partial.
WP2.
T2.1 Completed: D5 submitted.
T2.2 Completed: D6 submitted; Mi3 defined.
T2.3 Completed: geodatabase & remote sensing added.
T2.4 In progress: data analysis ends M42.
T2.5 Not started.
WP3.
T3.1 T3.2 T3.4 Completed.
T3.3 T3.6 Not started.
T3.5 Delayed: D13 preliminary; final before M42.
WP4.
T4.1 Completed.
T4.2 Delayed: joint protocol, first results; simulations ongoing, plan for joint & separate publications.
T4.3 Delayed: D17 draft submitted; update fall 2025.
T4.4 Completed: D18 submitted.
T4.5 In progress: model setup done; future runs ongoing; stakeholder loop delayed to autumn 2025.
T4.6 Not started.
WP5.
T5.1 Completed: D21 submitted.
T5.2 Delayed: inventories done; D22 preliminary; final M42.
T5.3 In progress: focus groups & summit session held; 2nd part to start Sept 2025 (M39).
T5.4 Not started.
WP6.
T6.1 In progress: D26 submitted; tracker updated; monthly EFI–UPV and bimonthly partner meetings.
T6.2 In progress: D30–D31 submitted; Climate Arena prep; raw material for videos; LinkedIn reinforced.
T6.3 In progress: D37 submitted; IPR group weakly active; draft IPR table prepared.
WP7.
T7.1 In progress: regular meetings, reports coordinated.
T7.2 In progress: monitoring meetings.
T7.3 In progress: contacts with sister projects.
T7.4 In progress: D42 submitted; D43 drafted; data protection intent signed.
Forest management planning by forest owners and managers: INFORMA generates and shares knowledge through guidelines and roadmaps accessible to forest owners/managers, addressing new SFM practices and the economic, technical and social obstacles that may hamper their application. Practices and challenges are identified by surveying stakeholders (WP1, WP3) and complemented with local simulation experiments to propose families of management approaches supporting diverse objectives (WP4) while considering ecosystem functions (WP2). A large-scale climate model (LMDzOR) quantifies the climate impact of four triplets of management strategies selected with stakeholders (WP1, WP4). These activities upscale the combined model application to TRL 5–6.
Climate effects (including GHG sinks): INFORMA uses satellite data, sampled in a novel way, to explore links between forest structure and biogeochemical/biophysical characteristics (WP2) across the 5 EU forest regions (Boreal, Atlantic, Alpine, Continental, Mediterranean). The LMDzOR model reproduces these relationships at larger scales (WP4). Results are then discussed with stakeholders in representative FMUs (WP1). This methodology advances knowledge on how forest practices affect climate regionally and globally via heat redistribution. It raises understanding of forest management changes and climate impacts from TRL 3 to 5.
Voluntary carbon markets as incentives: INFORMA contributes to certification and verification of carbon removals by detecting weaknesses in current standards and methodologies (WP5) and proposing technical (robust MRV) and economic (business models, stakeholder incentives) improvements. It addresses specificities of forest carbon and new challenges (non-permanence risks, biophysical effects, role of wood products, baseline uncertainties). Recommendations target existing schemes and the upcoming EU framework, tailored to each forest bioregion. Inclusion of improved SFM projects in carbon schemes will increase TRL from 2 to 4.
Climate effects (including GHG sinks): INFORMA uses satellite data, sampled in a novel way, to explore links between forest structure and biogeochemical/biophysical characteristics (WP2) across the 5 EU forest regions (Boreal, Atlantic, Alpine, Continental, Mediterranean). The LMDzOR model reproduces these relationships at larger scales (WP4). Results are then discussed with stakeholders in representative FMUs (WP1). This methodology advances knowledge on how forest practices affect climate regionally and globally via heat redistribution. It raises understanding of forest management changes and climate impacts from TRL 3 to 5.
Voluntary carbon markets as incentives: INFORMA contributes to certification and verification of carbon removals by detecting weaknesses in current standards and methodologies (WP5) and proposing technical (robust MRV) and economic (business models, stakeholder incentives) improvements. It addresses specificities of forest carbon and new challenges (non-permanence risks, biophysical effects, role of wood products, baseline uncertainties). Recommendations target existing schemes and the upcoming EU framework, tailored to each forest bioregion. Inclusion of improved SFM projects in carbon schemes will increase TRL from 2 to 4.