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Forest Dynamics, Modelling and Management

Forest Dynamics, Modelling and Management

We focus in assessing the effect of forest management on forest system dynamics, the development of forest models and different actions linked to mitigation and adaption of forests to climate change.

Grupo de investigación dependiente del

Forest Research Centre

Forest Dynamics and Management

The knowledge about the effect of climate change in forest dynamics and its influence over different ecosystem services is a main role to combat climate change. In this sense, forest modelling helps to plan and manage forests by assessing different management alternatives under diverse climate scenarios. For this purpose, our Group is involved in the following research activities:

  • Dynamics and functional processes of forest systems under climate change
  • Adaption of forest systems and mitigation to climate change through forest management
  • Forest modelling and optimization to achieve a Multifunctional Forest Management
  • Dynamics and management of mixed forests
  • Wildlife ecology, conservation and management in forest systems
  • Open integration and innovation for ecosystem services management and value chain sustainability

​Investigation

Dynamics and Functional Processes of forest systems under climate change

A main issue for a sustainable forest management is to assure the maintenance of forest systems functionality, while assuring the provision of ecosystem services in the long term.

Taking in consideration the importance of both forest management and global change on forest dynamics and regeneration, a special attention should be payed to the assessment of the vulnerability of forest systems to climate change and the necessity to manage the change in order to reduce its negative impact on the provision of ecosystem services. ​​​​​​

Forest management for the adaptation and mitigation of forest systems to climate change

In the climate change context forest management is playing a key role. From the point of view of the mitigation of their effects, forests are sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere and storing carbon in their biomass, in the soil and through management in forests products. Different management systems should be considered in order to know their effects in all the tree/stand development stages. The right provision of ecosystem services by forests systems need to identify and characterize those expected impacts due climate change. Forest systems require measures in order to minimize the impacts of climate change and adaptive forest management is required to support the stands for the projected climate conditions.

Multifunctional forest management: Modeling and optimization

Forest models are a basic tool for supporting forest management, permitting to simulate forest dynamics processes as growth, regeneration and mortality, forecast the evolution of forest stands and predict the provision of different Ecosystem Services under different environmental scenarios and management schedules. Joint use of modelling and optimization tools allows to define optimal proposals for silvicultural schedules, under a multifunctional approach. Forest models aim to cover different spatiotemporal scales, from the physiological processes at leaf level to regional studies at landscape level.

For optimization of forest management decisions, European forests must be understood as both social and ecological systems, complex and adaptive. Multipurpose optimization explores how to make provisioning ecosystem service (wood, biomass, NWFP, or hunting) compatible with the sustainable management of the forest, its habitat and its fauna, guaranteeing its other functions and ecosystem services, namely regulating and cultural services, which are increasingly recognized and integrated into current forest planning.

Dynamics and management of mixed forests

Mixed forests can deliver more goods and services than monospecific forests, being also more resilient against the currently increasing biotic and abiotic disturbances. Species interactions modify species specific dynamics when growing in mixed stands, depending on also on climatic conditions. Thus, a better knowledge of mixed forest dynamics for different species compositions is needed to promote a suitable forest management. In this context, the main topics in this research line are: regeneration, growth and yield in mixed forests; effect of species mixing on forest resilience and stability under climate change; response to silvicultural treatments in mixed stands.

Wildlife ecology, conservation and management in forest systems

From a multidisciplinary perspective: from ecology to social sciences, we aim to improve knowledge about wildlife ecology, conservation and management in forest systems taking into account some of the current society's great challenges, such as climate change, decreasing biodiversity and finding solutions for an innovative, inclusive and responsible society. In particular, this line addresses topics such as: (i) Wildlife species monitoring, wildlife demographics, and wildlife population dynamics; (ii) Knowledge improvement on the basic relations of wildlife and forestry; (iii) The inclusion of human perspective in their relationship with nature when defining future wildlife conservation and management scenarios, which leads us to address wildlife economics and management conflicts.

Integration and open innovation in management of forest ecosystem services and support of their value chains

Iberian forest systems are not untouched natural ecosystems, but the result of millennia of human interaction with forest dynamics. Their comprehension implies integrating their anthropic elements, uses and actors into forest management and decision-making. Its optimising also considering compatibility with unrewarded ecosystem services requires that forest owners and managers are open and innovative in order to respond to new challenges and opportunities.​

Miembros

Forest Dynamics, Modelling and Management Members

Coordinador de Grupo

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