Objective
European forests are under unprecedented threat from the combined forces of climate change and large increases in the numbers of alien invasive pests and pathogens resulting from changes in patterns of global trade. Interactions between climate change, including likely changes in both mean temperatures and precipitation, will have serious impacts on the susceptibility of forest ecosystems to damage by pests and pathogens, and a large number of novel, unprecedented forest health problems are likely to occur in the near future. These problems will lead to reductions in primary production, with consequent losses in yields, biodiversity and other multi-functional roles of forests. Local extinctions of highly susceptible plant species may also result. The ISEFOR project will address these problems through: the identification of key groups of potentially invasive alien organisms, the development of accurate, state-of-the art diagnostic methods to detect and quantify both known and unknown threats, an in depth analysis of the plant nursery trade, the major poorly controlled pathway for distribution of alien pests and pathogens, and through the development of modelling software enabling the prediction of geographical areas at risk of attack by alien invasive pests and pathogens under climate change scenarios. The efficacy of the ISEFOR project will be enhanced through the use of the recently developed large databases of alien pest and pathogen threats, and interfacing with other EU-funded projects dealing with plant health issues. Results will be directed to the national plant protection organisations through targeted workshops.
Fields of science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftware
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureagronomyplant protection
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdatabases
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystems
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes
Call for proposal
FP7-KBBE-2009-3
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Coordinator
AB24 3FX Aberdeen
United Kingdom
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Participants (16)
Participation ended
1537 Luxembourg
750 07 Uppsala
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2000 Neuchatel
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01100 Viterbo
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00185 Roma
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05 090 Sekocin Stary
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1050 Bruxelles
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70211 Kuopio
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75007 Paris Cedex 07
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OX10 8DE Wallingford
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194021 Saint Petersburg
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1180 Wien
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1000 Brussels
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1000 Bruxelles
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CH-1215 Geneva
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100093 Beijing
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