How can European foresters turn complex climate data into actionable management strategies? As the impacts of climate change—from prolonged droughts to bark beetle outbreaks—become more frequent, the need for precision in forest management has never been greater. The OptFor-EU and FORWARDS projects are joining forces in a joint webinar to showcase how the latest advancements in forest observation can feed directly into smarter decision-making.
OptFor-EU presents its newly released Decision Support System (DSS), designed to empower forest managers by providing science-based options for optimizing forest ecosystem services and enhancing resilience. To bring the technology to life, the session will feature a deep dive into one of OptFor-EU’s eight case studies, demonstrating how the DSS handles real-world complexities.
Complementing this, the FORWARDS project will introduce the ForestWard Observatory. By reconciling ground-based information with remote sensing, the Observatory provides a “pan-European pulse” on forest vulnerability. Attendees will learn how data from FORWARDS’ extensive network of pilot cases and third-party monitoring sites provides the essential evidence base required for Climate-Smart Forestry (CSF).
What to expect:
- Live demonstration of the OptFor-EU DSS features.
- Real-world application of DSS tools in a local forest context.
- How the ForestWard platform tracks disturbances and vulnerabilities across Europe.
- Engage with experts from both projects on the future of digital forestry.
Draft Agenda
| 14:00 | Welcome & Introduction, | Sorin Cheval, Meteo Romania (OptFor-EU) |
| 14:05 | OptFor-EU and FORWARDS introductions, | Sorin Cheval, Meteo Romania (OptFor-EU) and Hans Verkerk, European Forest Institute (FORWARDS) |
| 14:15 | Monitoring and modelling forests under climate change: The Forest Ward Observatory | Hans Verkerk, European Forest Institute (FORWARDS) |
| 14:25 | Digital tools for climate-smart forestry | Giovanni Santopuoli from the University of Molise |
| 14:35 | Decisions Rooted in Science: The OptFor-EU DSS Official walkthrough of the DSS release and its core functionalities. | Harald Vacik, BOKU University |
| 14:50 | Putting Tools to Work: Case Study Deep Dive Focus on a specific application in one of the OptFor-EU Case Studies | Francesca Giannetti, Blue Biloba, Italian Case Study (OptFor-EU) |
| 15:00 | Panel discussion and Q&A A moderated discussion with Q&A | Panel (Both Projects) |
| 15:25 | Closing Remarks & Next Steps | Sorin Cheval, Meteo Romania (OptFor-EU) |
