Article by Dr. Stefanie Linser (BOKU) Across Europe, forests are expected to do more than ever: protect wildlife, cope with climate change, provide many benefits to people, and stay…
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by Gesche Schifferdecker, Jukka Tikkanen, Mikko Kurttila, and Rainer Peltola
When you explore a Finnish forest with experts like Jukka Tikkanen, Mikko Kurttila, and Rainer Peltola, you quickly realise that the forest economy is far richer than timber alone. Between the trees and under the canopy lies a quiet abundance: branches from Spruce trees, sap from birches, mushrooms, resin, berries. And now, more than ever, these non-wood forest products (NWFPs) are gaining attention in forest planning.
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High up in the Styrian hills of Austria, at Wegscheid’s Living Lab where spruce crowns shimmer like scales in shifting light, a quiet transformation is…
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Article written by Florian Schnabel (University of Freiburg) I often go running in the hills surrounding Freiburg, Germany. The jogging trails stretch from the Rhine valley to…
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How Zagreb’s urban and protected woodlands inspire the future of forest management Blog post by: By Gesche Schifferdecker, Silvester Boonen, Marija Majnarić, Martina Kičić Nestled…
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“We have the need to improve biodiversity on every scale”, says Dr. Frank Krumm, researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape…
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New collaborative project launches to integrate societal demands with biodiversity conservation
Whether we witness branches coming back to life as spring unfolds, observe squirrels swiftly disappearing into the woods, or notice the crisp sound of boots on snow-covered trails—forest experiences hold meaning to us in many ways. But how else can we value forests?
Clean water sources, fresh air, healthy soil, flood control, climate change mitigation, and the survival of wildlife—all of these contribute to the relational value of forests. This goes beyond mere timber; forests embody a wealth of long-lasting socio-ecological benefits. We deeply rely on forests for social, economic, and cultural wellbeing. Balancing the needs of diverse stakeholders and reconciling short-term gains with long-term interests has been a historical challenge in the relationship between societal demands and forest conservation efforts. It is a dilemma that risks fueling environmental conflict and pessimism across the world.
Integrative Forest Management (IFM) emerges as a practical solution to address these conflicts. IFM seeks to harmonize the ecological and socio-economic demands for forests through sustainable forest management, aiming to enhance biodiversity while equally ensuring economic viability. Over the past 13 years, European Forest Institute’s (EFI) exploration and research into IFM through projects like Integrate (2011-2013), Integrate+ (2013-2016), INFORMA (2017-2020), and FoReSite (2020-2022), have been proactive. While the concept of IFM is well-established, it currently lacks operational elements in terms of verification, monitoring, guidance, and Europe-wide implementation. This gap is what led us to initiate the new TRANSFORMIT project.
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