A Tool for Identifying Forest Areas in Europe Exposed to Systematic Stress Due to Climate Change

EIP-AGRI PRACTICE ABSTRACT by Swiss Federal Research Institute (WSL)

Forests are complex systems and their interaction with and response to climate change are very difficult to predict. Therefore, we use historical and current trends in forest biomass and productivity across Europe to identify areas at risk of natural disturbances or even forest loss.

Data assimilation routines and processing tools (D3.2)

The FORWARDS project is developing a European observatory to assess forest vulnerability to climate change and support Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF) and restoration practices. WP3 focuses on identifying and evaluating effective restoration and CSF management options. The deliverable introduces tools and data assimilation routines that use observations and projections to assess management effectiveness. Two web applications, CSF-Ind and CSF-AT, quantify CSF indicators at multiple scales, supporting forest managers and policymakers. Additionally, new routines integrate field and remote-sensing data to fill information gaps and enable forest modelling under future scenarios. Improvements to process-based modelling using updated disturbance and harvest data are also presented.

This deliverable has not yet been officially approved by the European Commission and should be considered a draft.

Report on forest manager/owners and society on CSF and restoration (D4.2)

The FORWARDS project examined how forest professionals and European citizens perceive climate-smart forestry and restoration across 13 countries. Findings show that both groups greatly value forests’ ecological functions, such as wildlife habitats, biodiversity, and environmental regulation. The main difference concerns the importance of carbon storage, which is considered less essential by the general public, who prefers cultural services like aesthetics and recreation. The report also highlights that management decisions and social acceptance depend not only on values but also on knowledge, trust, social norms, and financial support.

DISCLAIMER: This deliverable has not yet been officially approved by the European Commission and should be considered a draft.

Bridging spatio-temporal gaps in ALS data using Landsat time series and forest disturbance-recovery metrics via multi-task neural networks

European forests help mitigate climate change, but increasing disturbances like fires and droughts call for better monitoring. Current forest data from National Forest Inventories (NFIs) are inconsistent across countries, and satellite or laser data alone have limitations. This study developed a neural network model combining Landsat satellite data with airborne laser scanning (ALS) metrics to predict forest height, growing stock volume, and basal area. Tested across five European regions, the method showed strong accuracy (R² up to 0.78). By predicting ALS-based metrics from satellite data, this approach enables scalable, affordable, and frequent forest monitoring to support climate-smart forest management.

Deciphering tree drought responses across species: linking leaf water potentials with remote sensing greenness and photoprotection dynamics

This study used drones and leaf-level measurements to track how seven common European tree species respond to drought. Researchers found that a light-based index (PRI) accurately reflected trees’ water stress and recovery after rain, while a greenness index (NDVI) mainly showed leaf loss but not recovery. Combining both indices explained about 70% of the changes in leaf water status. Species less tolerant to drought showed stronger protective pigment activity. Overall, the study shows that linking tree physiology with drone data can improve early warning systems for forest drought stress and enable species-specific drought monitoring across large areas.

A European Remote Sensing System for the Early Detection and Mapping of Forest Vulnerabilities and Risks

EIP-AGRI PRACTICE ABSTRACT by Università degli Studi di Firenze (UniFi)

Healthy forests are essential to rural livelihoods, biodiversity, and the bioeconomy. However, they are under increasing threat from storms, droughts, pests, diseases, and fires. These dangers often develop quietly and, if not identified early, can cause significant economic and ecological damage. The FORWARDS project is developing an innovative sensing system that can quickly identify and map forest vulnerabilities and risks across Europe.