Integrative forest management (IFM) aims at integrating biodiversity conservation and global change adaptation into forest management for the sustainable provision of multiple ecosystem services. It is guided by natural and diverse forest structures, compositions, and dynamics to support ecosystem functioning and resilience. Its management practices consistently consider the tree, stand, and landscape scale and employ different silvicultural intensities, including intentionally unmanaged forests. IFM can be applied in any type of forest to achieve integrated environmental, economic, and social outcomes.
While IFM is a well-established concept, it lacks operational frameworks for verification, monitoring, and large-scale implementation. TRANSFORMIT aims to bridge this gap by demonstrating and improving IFM’s effectiveness, integrating scientific and practical knowledge, and fostering collaboration among key stakeholders across Europe and internationally.
TRANSFORMIT seeks to:
- Engage stakeholders by establishing a Stakeholder Engagement Platform to facilitate collaboration, knowledge exchange, and mutual understanding between different sectors.
- Demonstrate IFM in practice by setting up seven Living Labs as role models for IFM implementation, adapted to regional conditions and ownership structures.
- Develop practical guidelines and create evidence-based IFM recommendations that balance biodiversity conservation, forest resilience, and economic viability.
- Support EU policy goals by providing evidence that IFM contributes to the EU Green Deal, Biodiversity Strategy, and Forest Strategy 2030 by integrating multiple forest functions such as ecosystem restoration and climate mitigation.
- Enhance decision-making by demonstrating the use of Decision Support Tools, forest modeling, and innovative technologies, including digital twins, to evaluate forest management approaches.
- Disseminate knowledge globally by conducting various workshops, webinars, and stakeholder events to promote IFM beyond Europe, collaborating with partners in China and North America.
- Promote education and training through the development of educational materials to integrate IFM principles into university and forestry curricula.
TRANSFORMIT aims to embed IFM principles into European forest management policies and practices. By fostering international collaboration, the project strengthens Europe’s leadership in sustainable forest management. Through stakeholder engagement, real-world demonstrations, decision-support tools, and educational efforts, the project will contribute to a sustainable and resilient future for Europe’s forests, supporting the EU’s forest policy and sustainability goals.
