Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INFORMA (Science-based INtegrated FORest Mitigation mAnagement made operational for Europe)
Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2023-12-31
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. INFORMATION & KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
T1.1 In progress: Integration fora/national FMU stakeholder mapping implemented; Mapping international stakeholders; D1 submitted
T1.2 In progress: Mi2 developed
T1.3 In progress: Intra consortium workshop
T1.4 In progress: Mi4 developed
T1.5 In progress: Mi1 developed
WP2. COMPARISON OF ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS OF MANAGED VERSUS UNMANAGED FORESTS IN EUROPE
T2.1 Slightly delayed: Systematic review scope set; Review protocol draft
T2.2 Completed: D6 submitted; Manuscript draft; Mi3 defined
T2.3 In progress: Ecosystem function calculations(remote sensing & geodatabases); Existing geodatabases overlaid with INFORMA platform; Quantification of above-ground biomass & structural diversity
T2.4 In progress: Statistical set up outlined
T2.5 Not started
WP3. SOCIO-INSTITUTIONAL PATTERNS OF INNOVATIVE FOREST-BASED MITIGATION & ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
T3.1 Completed: D9 submitted
T3.2 Completed: D10 submitted. Mi6: Needs & perceptions identified
T3.3 Not started
T3.4 Completed: D12 submitted; Dissemination in progress
T3.5 Delayed
T3.6 Not started
WP4. DEVELOPMENT & IMPACT OF SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES
T4.1 Completed: D15 submitted
T4.2 In progress: Joint simulation protocol (T4.2;T4.4) developed
T4.3 Not started
T4.4 In progress: Model runs improved
T4.5 Not started
T4.6 Not started
WP5. CARBON CERTIFICATION IMPROVEMENTS: CONTRIBUTION FROM RESEARCH & PRACTITIONERS
T5.1 In progress: IFM methodologies worldwide; Identification of improvements needed; D21drafted
T5.2 Advanced: iPad LiDAR technology for aboveground carbon inventory:2 case studies
T5.3 Not started
T5.4 Not started
WP6. COMMUNICATION, DISSEMINATION & EXPLOITATION
T6.1 In progress: D25 submitted
T6.2 In progress: D28 submitted; D29 submitted
T6.3 In progress: D34 submitted
WP7: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
T7.1 In progress: Semestral GMs launched; TEAMS channel repository by WPs; M1-18 Report Coordination
T7.2 In progress: D39 submitted; Monitoring meetings carried out
T7.3 In progress: Sister projects contacts
T7.4 In progress: D41 submitted;D42 drafted; Declaration of GDPR developed
T1.1 In progress: Integration fora/national FMU stakeholder mapping implemented; Mapping international stakeholders; D1 submitted
T1.2 In progress: Mi2 developed
T1.3 In progress: Intra consortium workshop
T1.4 In progress: Mi4 developed
T1.5 In progress: Mi1 developed
WP2. COMPARISON OF ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS OF MANAGED VERSUS UNMANAGED FORESTS IN EUROPE
T2.1 Slightly delayed: Systematic review scope set; Review protocol draft
T2.2 Completed: D6 submitted; Manuscript draft; Mi3 defined
T2.3 In progress: Ecosystem function calculations(remote sensing & geodatabases); Existing geodatabases overlaid with INFORMA platform; Quantification of above-ground biomass & structural diversity
T2.4 In progress: Statistical set up outlined
T2.5 Not started
WP3. SOCIO-INSTITUTIONAL PATTERNS OF INNOVATIVE FOREST-BASED MITIGATION & ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
T3.1 Completed: D9 submitted
T3.2 Completed: D10 submitted. Mi6: Needs & perceptions identified
T3.3 Not started
T3.4 Completed: D12 submitted; Dissemination in progress
T3.5 Delayed
T3.6 Not started
WP4. DEVELOPMENT & IMPACT OF SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES
T4.1 Completed: D15 submitted
T4.2 In progress: Joint simulation protocol (T4.2;T4.4) developed
T4.3 Not started
T4.4 In progress: Model runs improved
T4.5 Not started
T4.6 Not started
WP5. CARBON CERTIFICATION IMPROVEMENTS: CONTRIBUTION FROM RESEARCH & PRACTITIONERS
T5.1 In progress: IFM methodologies worldwide; Identification of improvements needed; D21drafted
T5.2 Advanced: iPad LiDAR technology for aboveground carbon inventory:2 case studies
T5.3 Not started
T5.4 Not started
WP6. COMMUNICATION, DISSEMINATION & EXPLOITATION
T6.1 In progress: D25 submitted
T6.2 In progress: D28 submitted; D29 submitted
T6.3 In progress: D34 submitted
WP7: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
T7.1 In progress: Semestral GMs launched; TEAMS channel repository by WPs; M1-18 Report Coordination
T7.2 In progress: D39 submitted; Monitoring meetings carried out
T7.3 In progress: Sister projects contacts
T7.4 In progress: D41 submitted;D42 drafted; Declaration of GDPR developed
Forest management planning by forest owners & managers: INFORMA generates/shares new knowledge through best practice guidelines & roadmaps that will be understandable for forest owners/managers concerning new SFM practices & the economic, technical & social barriers that could hamper them. To do so, they are identified by surveying stakeholders & are complemented with local simulation to propose families of management approaches that help achieve a wide range of management goals while considering ecosystem functions. Subsequently, a climate model (LMDzOR) is applied to quantify the climate impact of 4 triplets of goals of forest management strategies that are selected together with the stakeholders . So, we are in the process of upscaling the combined model application to a final TRL 5-6;
Climate effects (including GHG sinks): we use satellite data pairwise sampled in a novel way to search for interactions between forest structure and its biogeochemical and biophysical characteristics in the 5 forest EU biogeographic regions. The LMDzOR is applied to reproduce the relationships observed in WP2 at large scales.Finally the outcomes are discussed with the stakeholders in the selected representative FMUs. This methodology will advance about how forest management practices may impact the EU climate but also the global one through the redistribution of heat in the atmosphere. This step forward will increase the knowledge of forest management changes and related impacts on climate from TRL 3-5;
Voluntary carbon markets as incentives: it contributes to progress in the certification and authenticity verification of carbon removals by identifying weaknesses of current standards and forest carbon methodologies, proposing methodological improvements, both on the technical (robustness of forest MRV) and the economic side (impact on project developers' business models, incentives given to stakeholders). It considers the specificities of forest carbon, provides recommendations to existing schemes and the future EU framework, emphasising the specificities of each EU forest bioregion. Once these methodological improvements are proposed, the inclusion of improved SFM projects in existing and potential carbon schemes will increase their TRL 2-4
Climate effects (including GHG sinks): we use satellite data pairwise sampled in a novel way to search for interactions between forest structure and its biogeochemical and biophysical characteristics in the 5 forest EU biogeographic regions. The LMDzOR is applied to reproduce the relationships observed in WP2 at large scales.Finally the outcomes are discussed with the stakeholders in the selected representative FMUs. This methodology will advance about how forest management practices may impact the EU climate but also the global one through the redistribution of heat in the atmosphere. This step forward will increase the knowledge of forest management changes and related impacts on climate from TRL 3-5;
Voluntary carbon markets as incentives: it contributes to progress in the certification and authenticity verification of carbon removals by identifying weaknesses of current standards and forest carbon methodologies, proposing methodological improvements, both on the technical (robustness of forest MRV) and the economic side (impact on project developers' business models, incentives given to stakeholders). It considers the specificities of forest carbon, provides recommendations to existing schemes and the future EU framework, emphasising the specificities of each EU forest bioregion. Once these methodological improvements are proposed, the inclusion of improved SFM projects in existing and potential carbon schemes will increase their TRL 2-4