From Observation to Optimisation: How Forest Monitoring Tools can lead to Climate-Smart Decisions

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).