Summary
Summary
Forest growth models are important tools within research to investigate and understand key ecosystem processes and to support forest management decisions. Sustainable forest management requires detailed information on tree growth and forest dynamics, including structural development, biodiversity indicators, and effects of disturbances. This is reflected in increasing emphasis, throughout Europe, on more detailed, versatile forest growth models which are able to forecast forest growth, account for changes in growing conditions, address risks and society needs and explicitly address forest management and its role within sustainable development.
Research objectives
The main objective of the Action was to promote the developing of methodologies to improve forest models to support the sustainable management of forests. The purpose of the Action was to:
- Enhance the quality and consistency of forest growth models to simulate the responses of forests to alternative managerial and climate scenarios
- Demonstrate variations in regional concepts as they have evolved depending on the background of the model developers and society needs.
Workgroups
The project was divided into the following workgroups:
- WG1: Inventory and review of existing models
- WG2: Underlying concepts and theories, model extensions
- WG3: Data-model interactions
- WG4: Applying models at different temporal and spatial scales
Forest Research involvement
- Robert Matthews was on the management committee of this action and participated in WG4
- Georgios Xenakis participated in WG2 and contributed to a review article on modelling concepts.
Funders and partners
This programme was funded by the European Union – EU COST Action FP0603
22 countries were involved in this COST Action.
Status
The COST Action started in April 2007 until April 2011.
Contact
For further information contact: