OptFor-EU: OPTimising FORest management decisions for a low-carbon, climate resilient future in EUrope

The OptFor-EU project, funded under the Horizon 2021 (HORIZON-CL6-2021-CLIMATE-01) programme, started in January 2023 and spans over four years, involving 16 partners from nine countries (Austria, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Netherlands, Spain, Romania and United Kingdom). The primary objective of OptFor-EU is to co-develop a Decision Support System (DSS) with forest managers and other forest stakeholders, that provides them with suitable climate adaptation and mitigation options for science-based optimising forest ecosystem services (including decarbonisation) and enhancing forest resilience and its capacities to mitigate climate change across Europe. This focus on forests ecosystems is more than necessary considering the decarbonisation potential and the functional role of the EU forests.

OptFor-EU Objectives:

The CO₂ sink provided by EU forests, including old-growth forests, partially offsets the rise in anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, providing a large-scale buffer to climate change, depending on their characteristics and local circumstances, such as management practices or ecosystem services. Based on the integration of state-of-the-art, knowledge, tools, datasets from concluded or ongoing European and international projects and initiatives, data and information collected at local scale in 8 Case Study Areas, and advanced technological capabilities, OptFor-EU will develop a science-based DSS solution that empowers forest managers and other stakeholders to identify sustainable forest management practices and policies to enhance decarbonisation while respecting ecological principles favourable to biodiversity and soil conservation, thus supporting future forest resilience.

OptFor-EU has five specific objectives:

(1) Provide an improved characterisation of the Forest-Climate Nexus and forest ecosystem services;

(2) Utilise end-user focused process modelling;

(3) Empower forest end-users to make informed decisions to enhance forest resilience and decarbonisation;

(4) Provide a novel DSS service;

(5) Bridging different EU strategic priorities, robust science, and stakeholders in the forest and forest-based sectors.

Project results:

In the first year of implementation, important results have been achieved, including:

(1) the methodology to generate gridded European forest types (EFTs) maps across Europe and a detailed overview of the EFTs classification used for creating the related map;

(2) consultation workshops to explores the needs of forest managers and forest owners to design a Decision Support System for climate adaptation and mitigation of European forests in 8 Case Study Areas;

(3) a detailed assessment of forest management practices across wide environmental (e.g. climate, soil, local tree species and their gene pool) and social gradients (e.g. ownership structure, markets for forest products, legal constraints) that will inform the design of the Decision Support System and other models as it contains a simulation methodology including procedures for stand initialization and output variable definitions;

(4) a report on the adoption of the OptFor-EU Forest Decision Support System, customization strategy and its implementation, including concrete steps for user engagement at various stages of the DSS development, to ensure usability and relevance.

Project impact and future prospects:

The OptFor-EU project holds the potential to revolutionise forest management practices across Europe and beyond. By harnessing the power of technology and data-driven approaches, it enables stakeholders to optimise resource allocation, minimise environmental impacts, and enhance the resilience of forest ecosystems. Moreover, the knowledge generated through the project contributes to evidence-based policymaking, fostering a regulatory framework that supports sustainable forestry practices. Looking ahead, the success of OptFor-EU relies on continued collaboration, investment in research and development, and mainstreaming of innovative solutions into forest management policies and practices. By embracing the principles of sustainability and leveraging cutting-edge technologies, we can safeguard our forests for future generations while simultaneously addressing the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

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