The purpose of FunDivEUROPE is to investigate and quantify relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem services in European forests. Further the project will address the question of how these diversity- functioning relationships are affected by disturbance and climate change. One way of doing so is by complementing the projects empirical approach with a modelling approach, combining the strength of a stand-scale (PICUS) and a landscape-scale model (iLand) to assess the interrelationships of species and habitat diversity, climate, disturbance regimes and management on ecosystem functions and services (EFS). PICUS is driven by climate data and management and has been intensively tested for temperate European forest ecosystems. iLand is a individual-based landscape model aimed to simulate forest ecosystem dynamics under changing climate with a focus on disturbances (wind, insect pests, fire).
To integrate information from this project with other efforts aimed at developing more stable and adaptable forest ecosystems for the future, a common workshop will be held together with the MOTIVE and the BACCARA project. MOTIVE aims to develop models for adaptive forest management. BACCARA has the main goal to develop tools to evaluate risks of European forest biodiversity and productivity loss under climate change.
A second workshop will combine science and forest management to explore additional silvicultural options to implement tree species diversity as an element of adaptation strategies.
Only recently a US study was published, which brought together scientific experts and forestry managers to ascertain some general adaptation strategies for the future, proving how fruitful such a discussion can be.
For more information: Informing climate change adaptation in forestry management
