Europe can get much more out of its forests, say five European forest research institutes

Europe can get much more out of its forests, say five European forest research institutes. To achieve this, Europe needs to build innovative industrial systems that can be based on the sustainable utilisation of European forests. Furthermore, Europeans need healthy and resilient forests and the services they provide. Research is essential to develop forest management systems that work in a changing environment.

A sustainable and resilient forest-based bioeconomy provides products and energy while addressing the challenges of biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Sustainably utilised forests are Europe's strength. Europe has the potential to develop its sustainable competitiveness through forest-based value chains, and European policies must support this goal to reduce dependency on, for example, economic trends in China and the US.

Europe's leading forest research institutes recognise that the time for action is now.
- It is crucial that the upcoming EU Bioeconomy Strategy outlines specific research objectives tailored to the forest-based sector to support this transition," says Johanna Buchert, CEO and President of the Natural Resources Institute of Finland (Luke).

The five institutes; the Austrian Forestry Research Centre, the Swedish Forest Research Institute, the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy, the Slovenian Forestry Institute and the Finnish Luke, provide policy recommendations that point to necessary changes.

Competitive European bioeconomy is based on sustainable forest management and its products

Europe must expect increased demand for forest-based materials from Europe's forests as CO2-intensive fossil materials are replaced. At the same time, there is a need to develop value chains for high-value products from forest biomass.

- Research can help to understand the big picture, the impacts of different policy areas, and advise on good forest management practices. It's also clear that many new innovations are needed to extract more value from forests," says Charlotte Bengtsson, Managing Director of the Swedish Forest Research Institute.

Healthy and resilient forests are key to maintaining ecosystem services and people's wellbeing

Forests are under stress as environmental conditions change. Therefore, research needs to provide the basis for understanding cause-and-effect relationships, such as why climate change is causing forest growth to decline in Europe. In addition, it is important to develop models to predict future growth trends and identify management strategies for all forest-related services.

- Forests are invaluable, providing both market and non-market benefits that affect our wellbeing. Therefore, research-based knowledge is essential for forward-looking forest-related policy decisions that enable us to shape a sustainable future for our communities. As a member of the For Forest Group, I therefore welcome the co-operation between the research institutes," says Norbert Totschnig, Austria's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management.

In general, Europe's forests are affected by a number of policy decisions at EU level, both current and future. The overall impacts of these decisions on forests and the forest-based bioeconomy need to be assessed, and conflicting objectives and trade-offs need to be addressed through research.

A range of multifunctional forest management approaches are needed for Europe

A single approach or management system alone is not enough to meet the many hopes and demands placed on forests. The forest institutes emphasise the need for region-specific, multifunctional management strategies and active forest management based on research.

This applied approach must effectively respond to current and expected future demands for wood and ecosystem services. It is also important to take into account regional endowment structures and traditions, and to continue to develop region-specific ways of utilising forest resources.

- By adopting research-based multifunctional forest management strategies, our ability to achieve environmental, economic and social goals in Europe increases significantly," concludes Nike Krajnc, Head of Institute at the Slovenian Forestry Institute.

Source: nibio.no