Final Report Summary - TRANZFOR (Transferring Research between EU and Australia-New Zealand on Forestry and Climate Change”)
The TRANZFOR exchange scheme strengthened research partnerships through staff exchanges and networking activities between 3 European research organisations from France, Portugal and United Kingdom, and 2 organisations from Australia and New Zealand. TRANZFOR addressed scientific issues related to “forestry and climate change”. The project developed rapidly thanks to previous active bilateral cooperation between individual countries and partners. The IRSES scheme provided a unique opportunity to integrate those past collaboration activities into a coherent programme addressing issues of high priority on political agendas of EU, New Zealand and Australia. The programme of exchange focused on forests ecosystems, forestry and climate change interactions, including assessment of impacts of climate change on forest ecosystem functioning and development of adaptation and mitigation strategies for forest management. Specific topics were defined for each exchange and concerned five major research domains: tree genomics and breeding, forest models, ecosystem services,risks assessment and management, bioenergy. The range of common tree species of interest and of climatic conditions, as well as the strategic importance of planted forests in the 5 partner countries involved, provided a coherent framework and socio-economic background for the different research activities as well as the different dissemination activities that were conducted.
TRANZFOR main outputs include:
• An international network based on:
- 74 individual exchanges, among them, 15 ESR and 5 technicians
- 191 person-months exchanged over a 53 months period (2009-13)
• 4 international workshops (France, Australia, UK, Portugal) and webinars (New Zealand)
• New joint initiatives (forest experiments, bilateral research projects , networking actions COST...)
• Proposal for expanded IRSES exchange programme involving Africa, America, Asia, Australasia
• Research results and scientific publications (16) covering five research domains:
1 - TRANZFOR genomic and genetic programme represented 50 months exchanged and involved 14 people from the 5 project partners; it also associated some university partners from Australia. Research work concerned 3 main topic areas and 11 projects:
i. Diversity of adaptive traits and related genes in tree species of common interest (5 projects) were studied, with focus on hydraulic traits and drought tolerance (diversity of water use efficiency in poplars and eucalyptus; cavitation resistance in conifers), disease resistance (genetic diversity in resilience to emerging pests and diseases in pines) and phenology (nothofagus and eucalyptus)
ii. Genomics and breeding concerned 4 projects with focus on genomic markers, genomic selection and optimization of breeding strategies in a context of both climate change and increasing demands in wood quantity and quality; these evolutions require to integrate more selection criteria and to accelerate the selection cycles in order to produce adapted improved material
iii. Species choice concerned 2 projects who investigated alternative tree species for adapting plantation forests to climate change and proposed selection criteria that have been used in developing new species trials.
The range of topics covered has advanced knowledge in this research area and has produced 6 joint publications in the international scientific literature; involvement of young people provides a solid foundation for future collaboration.
2 - The Forest Model Programme involved a total of 14 researchers, 38 person months and international collaborations extending beyond the TRANZFOR core group to a total of 7 organisations from 5 countries. There were 9 main projects covering the different tasks including: review, exchange and cross validation of models (4); improvement of models for sustainability and risk assessment (3); and operationalization of models and development of decision support tools (2). Simulation at various scales (trees, stands, landscapes) of forest resources dynamics under alternative management and climatic scenarios was a common theme of the projects in this WP. Different types of growth models (empirical, process-based, hybrid) were tested, compared and parametrized for different data set in both hemispheres for fast growing trees species (pines and eucalyptus) and were used for modelling water use and carbon sequestration, exploring mechanisms of mortality, predicting species productivity under climate change scenarios, assessing wind damage or nutrient balance in intensive plantations. Much of the collaborative research has been disseminated in scientific conferences (6 presentations) and written as joint scientific papers (4 publications), thus contributing substantially to the knowledge base in forest modelling.
3 - TRANZFOR Environmental Services Programme was very succesfull and involved a total of 19 researchers including 9 young scientists and 2 technical staff, representing altogether 46 person months. There were 10 main projects covering different disciplines and topic areas including: soil fertility and protection (3 projects); riparian forest plants and water quality (1); forest biodiversity and landscape composition (3); forest sustainability and environmental indicators (1); valuation of forest ecosystem services (2). Assessment of effects of changing climates and land uses on key environmental services was a common theme of the projects in this WP. One important outcome was the development of a web-based geographical system to explore forest environmental services under climate change and the incorporation of landscape awareness into socio-economic surveys for willingness-to-pay evaluation. Most of the collaborative research from this programme has been disseminated effectively, either in scientific conferences (6 presentations) or as joint scientific papers (6 publications).
4 - Risk Assessment Programme involved a total of 19 researchers, 36 person months and international collaborations extending beyond the TRANZFOR core group to a total of 13 organisations from 9 countries. There were 10 main projects covering fire risks (4), insect risks and biodiversity (3), wind risks (2) and risk from escape of wildings from planted forest (1). Climate change impacts were an overlay in many of the projects, especially those relating to insect incursions. The fire risk projects included studies: (i) comparing various countries understanding of risks and their management (if any) responses, (ii) social attitudes and risk management, (iii) fire behaviour modeling, and (iv) post-fire ecology of burnt and vulnerable forests. The insect projects included studies examining the risks imposed by planted forests and climate change in encouraging incursions of indigenous and non-indigenous pests. The wide variety of projects and participation from the many organisations has contributed substantially to the knowledge base to the areas covered and has also left an enduring legacy of collaboration between individuals. Much of the research results have been presented in scientific conferences (12 presentations) and written as journal papers in the international scientific literature although much is in progress.
5 – Four exchanges addressed TRANZFOR Bioenergy programme covering standards for woody biomass, species choice for woody biomass crops, yield modeling, and biomass processing for bioenergy. WP deliverables included a report on Bioenergy Current Practice and Standards, a training event co-hosted in Scotland, joint publications and contributions to a number of international meetings. Work under the work package showed that most countries have a robust policy framework to support sustainable bioenergy production, although policies and national targets on renewable energy differ considerably – for example between Australia and the UK. EU and ISO standards for bioenergy still need to be developed. This area of work continues to be a high priority globally but also to be highly controversial with disagreements over the net greenhouse gas benefits arising from biomass energy. Work undertaken in TRANZFOR will contribute to the development of sustainability criteria to be published by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change in August 2013. There is increasing interest in mandatory criteria for power generation from biomass at the European and global scales.
TRANZFOR main outputs include:
• An international network based on:
- 74 individual exchanges, among them, 15 ESR and 5 technicians
- 191 person-months exchanged over a 53 months period (2009-13)
• 4 international workshops (France, Australia, UK, Portugal) and webinars (New Zealand)
• New joint initiatives (forest experiments, bilateral research projects , networking actions COST...)
• Proposal for expanded IRSES exchange programme involving Africa, America, Asia, Australasia
• Research results and scientific publications (16) covering five research domains:
1 - TRANZFOR genomic and genetic programme represented 50 months exchanged and involved 14 people from the 5 project partners; it also associated some university partners from Australia. Research work concerned 3 main topic areas and 11 projects:
i. Diversity of adaptive traits and related genes in tree species of common interest (5 projects) were studied, with focus on hydraulic traits and drought tolerance (diversity of water use efficiency in poplars and eucalyptus; cavitation resistance in conifers), disease resistance (genetic diversity in resilience to emerging pests and diseases in pines) and phenology (nothofagus and eucalyptus)
ii. Genomics and breeding concerned 4 projects with focus on genomic markers, genomic selection and optimization of breeding strategies in a context of both climate change and increasing demands in wood quantity and quality; these evolutions require to integrate more selection criteria and to accelerate the selection cycles in order to produce adapted improved material
iii. Species choice concerned 2 projects who investigated alternative tree species for adapting plantation forests to climate change and proposed selection criteria that have been used in developing new species trials.
The range of topics covered has advanced knowledge in this research area and has produced 6 joint publications in the international scientific literature; involvement of young people provides a solid foundation for future collaboration.
2 - The Forest Model Programme involved a total of 14 researchers, 38 person months and international collaborations extending beyond the TRANZFOR core group to a total of 7 organisations from 5 countries. There were 9 main projects covering the different tasks including: review, exchange and cross validation of models (4); improvement of models for sustainability and risk assessment (3); and operationalization of models and development of decision support tools (2). Simulation at various scales (trees, stands, landscapes) of forest resources dynamics under alternative management and climatic scenarios was a common theme of the projects in this WP. Different types of growth models (empirical, process-based, hybrid) were tested, compared and parametrized for different data set in both hemispheres for fast growing trees species (pines and eucalyptus) and were used for modelling water use and carbon sequestration, exploring mechanisms of mortality, predicting species productivity under climate change scenarios, assessing wind damage or nutrient balance in intensive plantations. Much of the collaborative research has been disseminated in scientific conferences (6 presentations) and written as joint scientific papers (4 publications), thus contributing substantially to the knowledge base in forest modelling.
3 - TRANZFOR Environmental Services Programme was very succesfull and involved a total of 19 researchers including 9 young scientists and 2 technical staff, representing altogether 46 person months. There were 10 main projects covering different disciplines and topic areas including: soil fertility and protection (3 projects); riparian forest plants and water quality (1); forest biodiversity and landscape composition (3); forest sustainability and environmental indicators (1); valuation of forest ecosystem services (2). Assessment of effects of changing climates and land uses on key environmental services was a common theme of the projects in this WP. One important outcome was the development of a web-based geographical system to explore forest environmental services under climate change and the incorporation of landscape awareness into socio-economic surveys for willingness-to-pay evaluation. Most of the collaborative research from this programme has been disseminated effectively, either in scientific conferences (6 presentations) or as joint scientific papers (6 publications).
4 - Risk Assessment Programme involved a total of 19 researchers, 36 person months and international collaborations extending beyond the TRANZFOR core group to a total of 13 organisations from 9 countries. There were 10 main projects covering fire risks (4), insect risks and biodiversity (3), wind risks (2) and risk from escape of wildings from planted forest (1). Climate change impacts were an overlay in many of the projects, especially those relating to insect incursions. The fire risk projects included studies: (i) comparing various countries understanding of risks and their management (if any) responses, (ii) social attitudes and risk management, (iii) fire behaviour modeling, and (iv) post-fire ecology of burnt and vulnerable forests. The insect projects included studies examining the risks imposed by planted forests and climate change in encouraging incursions of indigenous and non-indigenous pests. The wide variety of projects and participation from the many organisations has contributed substantially to the knowledge base to the areas covered and has also left an enduring legacy of collaboration between individuals. Much of the research results have been presented in scientific conferences (12 presentations) and written as journal papers in the international scientific literature although much is in progress.
5 – Four exchanges addressed TRANZFOR Bioenergy programme covering standards for woody biomass, species choice for woody biomass crops, yield modeling, and biomass processing for bioenergy. WP deliverables included a report on Bioenergy Current Practice and Standards, a training event co-hosted in Scotland, joint publications and contributions to a number of international meetings. Work under the work package showed that most countries have a robust policy framework to support sustainable bioenergy production, although policies and national targets on renewable energy differ considerably – for example between Australia and the UK. EU and ISO standards for bioenergy still need to be developed. This area of work continues to be a high priority globally but also to be highly controversial with disagreements over the net greenhouse gas benefits arising from biomass energy. Work undertaken in TRANZFOR will contribute to the development of sustainability criteria to be published by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change in August 2013. There is increasing interest in mandatory criteria for power generation from biomass at the European and global scales.
