Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ASFORCLIC (Adaption strategies in forestry under global climate change impact)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-04-01 do 2023-12-31
The ASFORCLIC is intended to significantly improve the research excellence of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology (FFWT) at Mendel University in Brno (MENDELU) and establish it as a European research leader, trendsetter, and scientific hub in the field of climate and global change impacts on Forestry and Wood Applications.
The ASFORCLIC project aims to increase scientific visibility and create new networking possibilities through targeted measures and training. Furthermore, we aim to raise FFWT's competitiveness in national, EU, and international research grant competitions. ASFORCLIC is also set to improve the personnel profiles of FFWT researchers, promote research through mentor-mentee collaboration, and engage stakeholders in a discussion to transfer research findings into industry partnerships. The planned widening actions and the overall project strategies include partner short stays/expert lectures, workshops/training/seminars, summer schools, training at advanced partners and short-term research visits. This project consortium is part of a long-term developed European research and education network.
FFWT MENDELU is joined in ASFORCLIC by seven advanced partners from four other EU nations. The consortium is establishing a forestry site- and wood-industry catena based on regional climate and forest site characteristics, as well as local tree and wood species with distinct material attributes and technological processes or application techniques tailored to individual markets.
Based on the historical and current conditions of the central European forestry sector, it is necessary to transform and maintain forests by modifying forest structure, particularly in the face of changing environmental factors that primarily affect health status and the quantity and quality of wood and other bio-based materials. Furthermore, due to global trade and climate change, new pests and pathogens pose increasingly significant risks to ecosystems such as temperate and boreal forests.
Climate change is expected to cause forest change, resulting in altered and newly formed or managed forest structures (Forest of the Future) and raw materials that must be processed and modified for future applications as products. It will transform our forests, paving the way for the Forest of the Future, the circular economy concept, and the bio-based economy. Politics and decision-makers need to incorporate this into their future strategies. Parallel changes in labour structure, acceptance of forests and landscapes for leisure, natural preservation, freshwater delivery, quality and clean air, and human well-being or health are all necessary answers. In routine bio-cycling or crisis, the biodiversity of trees, plants, and wildlife, including insects and fungi, will differ.
Changes in bio-based material disposal will occur due to these changes in forest production conditions, necessitating adjustments across the value chain and new adaptations of wood processing and application processes, including a whole-system circular economy approach. This will involve transitioning from softwood species to hardwood or mixed stands, increasing utilisation of lesser-used wood species, and rising demand for locally grown wood resources.
The ASFORCLIC project aims to increase scientific visibility and create new networking possibilities through targeted measures and training. Furthermore, we aim to raise FFWT's competitiveness in national, EU, and international research grant competitions. ASFORCLIC is also set to improve the personnel profiles of FFWT researchers, promote research through mentor-mentee collaboration, and engage stakeholders in a discussion to transfer research findings into industry partnerships. The planned widening actions and the overall project strategies include partner short stays/expert lectures, workshops/training/seminars, summer schools, training at advanced partners and short-term research visits. This project consortium is part of a long-term developed European research and education network.
FFWT MENDELU is joined in ASFORCLIC by seven advanced partners from four other EU nations. The consortium is establishing a forestry site- and wood-industry catena based on regional climate and forest site characteristics, as well as local tree and wood species with distinct material attributes and technological processes or application techniques tailored to individual markets.
Based on the historical and current conditions of the central European forestry sector, it is necessary to transform and maintain forests by modifying forest structure, particularly in the face of changing environmental factors that primarily affect health status and the quantity and quality of wood and other bio-based materials. Furthermore, due to global trade and climate change, new pests and pathogens pose increasingly significant risks to ecosystems such as temperate and boreal forests.
Climate change is expected to cause forest change, resulting in altered and newly formed or managed forest structures (Forest of the Future) and raw materials that must be processed and modified for future applications as products. It will transform our forests, paving the way for the Forest of the Future, the circular economy concept, and the bio-based economy. Politics and decision-makers need to incorporate this into their future strategies. Parallel changes in labour structure, acceptance of forests and landscapes for leisure, natural preservation, freshwater delivery, quality and clean air, and human well-being or health are all necessary answers. In routine bio-cycling or crisis, the biodiversity of trees, plants, and wildlife, including insects and fungi, will differ.
Changes in bio-based material disposal will occur due to these changes in forest production conditions, necessitating adjustments across the value chain and new adaptations of wood processing and application processes, including a whole-system circular economy approach. This will involve transitioning from softwood species to hardwood or mixed stands, increasing utilisation of lesser-used wood species, and rising demand for locally grown wood resources.
ASFORCLIC fosters future cooperation by establishing strong linkages between individual researchers and participating institutions. During RP2, we focused on networking, linking institutions, joint events, training and workshops, lectures, literature and other online seminars, supporting early-stage and young researchers, job shadowing, and dissemination activities involving the research community and broader stakeholder groups. 17 mentor-mentee pairings at MENDELU collaborated in virtual working groups, enhancing early-stage and young researchers' skills with advanced partner experts. They used lesser-used tree and wood species, forestry management, property characterisation techniques, and bio-based products, impacting MENDELU FFWT.
During the three years, the ASFORCLIC has achieved 30+ peer-reviewed publications with IF, 5+ European and international projects, 60+ visits at advanced partners, 40+ expert visits from the advanced partners at MENDELU, 100+ online/in-person meetings, 11 literature seminars, three summer school (WP1-3), three job shadowing, 100+ hours of planning, coordinating, brainstorming, etc. (MENDELU core team), 17+ conference participation, 7+ dissemination events dedicated to stakeholders, production of dissemination materials (Newsletters, posters, lesson learned articles, press releases, posts etc.).
During the three years, the ASFORCLIC has achieved 30+ peer-reviewed publications with IF, 5+ European and international projects, 60+ visits at advanced partners, 40+ expert visits from the advanced partners at MENDELU, 100+ online/in-person meetings, 11 literature seminars, three summer school (WP1-3), three job shadowing, 100+ hours of planning, coordinating, brainstorming, etc. (MENDELU core team), 17+ conference participation, 7+ dissemination events dedicated to stakeholders, production of dissemination materials (Newsletters, posters, lesson learned articles, press releases, posts etc.).
We set four significant groups of impact for ASFORCLIC.
*Increased research excellence of the coordinating institution in the field of research
The ASFORCLIC consortium has significantly improved the quantity and quality of peer-reviewed publications targeting highly-ranked journals, achieving 34 scientific journal publications (Gold and Green Access). FFWT MENDELU established the Open Science Center in 2023 to support research excellence, comply with data management plans and open science rules and provide methodological support for Open Access and Research Data Management. The ASFORCLIC project resulted in 68% of FFWT publications in impact journals, with 68% in Q1 and Q2.
*Enhancing the reputation, attractiveness and networking channels of the coordinating institution
ASFORCLIC's initiative facilitated Europe-wide forest inventory evaluation and introduced lesser-used wood species. It stimulated policy, collaborating with MENDELU and other organizations, creating new projects and publishing high-ranking articles in 2024.
*Improved capability to compete successfully for competitive research funding
The ASFORCLIC project has improved MENDELU staff's academic and administrative skills, enabling participation in nine Horizon Europe project proposals. The sister EXCELLENTIA project focuses on forest ecosystem research, promoting scientific dialogue and networking. The project offers new topics for ESRs, and MENDELU established a new Project Centre in 2023. In 2023, FFWT had a 22% success rate, with 24% of projects based on European or international budgets.
*Benefits and impacts related to early-stage researchers
ESRs have benefited from engagement with experienced mentors, providing a one-of-a-kind opportunity to consult with the field's most experienced scientists in the ASFORCLIC consortium. They applied new skills in their practice and communication with the public, colleagues from European and national partner institutions and industrial stakeholders. The consortium project partners improved ESRs ' capacity and scientific performance, fostering long-term impact on their competencies and future career options. They highlighted the importance of positive working relationships and understanding project goals.
The ASFORCLIC project has enhanced ESR competencies and PhD programs at FFWT, resulting in new knowledge, improved scientific performance for ESRs, and provided soft skills training for practical study completion. The Integral Grant Agency FFWT call 2023 mandated a data management plan as part of project applications, requiring submissions in English only.
The Project Centre at MENDELU offers methodological support to ESRs, including preparing methodological sheets, training, and submitting proposals. It communicates with grant providers, organises workshops, prepares materials, and supports PhD students.
*Increased research excellence of the coordinating institution in the field of research
The ASFORCLIC consortium has significantly improved the quantity and quality of peer-reviewed publications targeting highly-ranked journals, achieving 34 scientific journal publications (Gold and Green Access). FFWT MENDELU established the Open Science Center in 2023 to support research excellence, comply with data management plans and open science rules and provide methodological support for Open Access and Research Data Management. The ASFORCLIC project resulted in 68% of FFWT publications in impact journals, with 68% in Q1 and Q2.
*Enhancing the reputation, attractiveness and networking channels of the coordinating institution
ASFORCLIC's initiative facilitated Europe-wide forest inventory evaluation and introduced lesser-used wood species. It stimulated policy, collaborating with MENDELU and other organizations, creating new projects and publishing high-ranking articles in 2024.
*Improved capability to compete successfully for competitive research funding
The ASFORCLIC project has improved MENDELU staff's academic and administrative skills, enabling participation in nine Horizon Europe project proposals. The sister EXCELLENTIA project focuses on forest ecosystem research, promoting scientific dialogue and networking. The project offers new topics for ESRs, and MENDELU established a new Project Centre in 2023. In 2023, FFWT had a 22% success rate, with 24% of projects based on European or international budgets.
*Benefits and impacts related to early-stage researchers
ESRs have benefited from engagement with experienced mentors, providing a one-of-a-kind opportunity to consult with the field's most experienced scientists in the ASFORCLIC consortium. They applied new skills in their practice and communication with the public, colleagues from European and national partner institutions and industrial stakeholders. The consortium project partners improved ESRs ' capacity and scientific performance, fostering long-term impact on their competencies and future career options. They highlighted the importance of positive working relationships and understanding project goals.
The ASFORCLIC project has enhanced ESR competencies and PhD programs at FFWT, resulting in new knowledge, improved scientific performance for ESRs, and provided soft skills training for practical study completion. The Integral Grant Agency FFWT call 2023 mandated a data management plan as part of project applications, requiring submissions in English only.
The Project Centre at MENDELU offers methodological support to ESRs, including preparing methodological sheets, training, and submitting proposals. It communicates with grant providers, organises workshops, prepares materials, and supports PhD students.