The 3FOR Project is an initiative to future-proof European forestry by merging scientific innovation with practical application.
We aim to develop resilient, sustainable forest management strategies that benefit both the environment and society under climate change.
The 3FOR Project brings together scientists, practitioners, and policy makers, providing science-based guidelines for climate-smart forestry practices, and practitioner-endorsed support for policy making.
Join our network today and help us transform forestry to secure a greener, more resilient future for Europe’s forests!
About
Foresight For Forests
(3FOR) Project
The goal of the 3FOR Project is to develop climate-smart forestry strategies for European regions, amidst the uncertainties of future climate change.
Forests have gained attention as a natural climate solution due to their role in the carbon cycle and potential to offset emissions. They also provide valuable ecosystem services, including timber, water cycling, climate regulation, cultural benefits, and biodiversity preservation.
In Europe, the multi-faceted roles of forests have been acknowledged in recent legislative strategies, e.g., the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and the EU regulation on land use, land use change, and forestry.
We will combine these simulations with robust multi-criteria optimization to develop forest management portfolios that can mitigate ecological and economic risks while maximizing benefits.
This approach facilitates the development of climate-resilient forest management regimes applicable across regions, functions, and environments. In collaboration with stakeholders, we aim to further refine strategies by regionally prioritizing ecosystem services.
However, European forests are deteriorating due to climate change and extreme events, necessitating adaptive management strategies and a transition to dynamic approaches that consider diverse climate projections.
Our project will use process-based models like LPJ-GUESS to project future forest dynamics and assess ecosystem services across different emission scenarios.
Developing climate-smart forestry strategies for European regions in six steps
1. Implementation
Implement more detailed forest management options into the dynamic vegetation model LPJ-GUESS, including new species parametrizations
2. Improvement
Improve the representation of natural disturbances in the model (such as fire, drought, wind, and insects)
3. Scenario runs
Perform model runs for selected focus regions, assessing the impact of future climate scenarios on forest management and ecosystem service provision
4. Computing
Compute optimized multi-functional forest management portfolios, viable across climate scenarios
5. Assessment
Derive multi-functional and climate-resilient strategies for actual forest management sites and reforestation projects
6. Communication
Develop a toolkit to communicate the results to various stakeholder groups, from foresters to policy makers
News
Project partners
Project Coordinator
The professorship in “Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions” (LSAI) at the Technical University of Munich aims to advance our fundamental understanding of the ecosystem processes essential for the interactions between global climate change and land use modifications.
By studying these processes, LSAI contributes to the development of effective strategies for managing terrestrial ecosystems in the context of global environmental change.
Communication Partner
The Climate Media Factory is a media, consulting and concept agency in Potsdam, Germany. We develop communication tools and stories that bring scientific knowledge and innovative concepts for sustainable futures to decision-makers and into society.
CMF is responsible for the communication and dissemination strategy of the project as well as the implementation and execution of all public communication and dissemination activities.
Funding Partner
VELUX Stiftung aims to contribute to sustainable change and impact for the benefit of humankind. While there are many important and unsolved topics in the supported funding areas, we focus on those ideas or challenges which are relevant, but have been neglected by the system, and/or take an interdisciplinary, outside-of-the-box approach where other funding opportunities are lacking.
Meet our team
Resources
- Gregor, K., Knoke, T., Krause, A. et al. 2022. “Trade-Offs for Climate-Smart Forestry in Europe Under Uncertain Future Climate.” Earth’s Future: Volume 10, Issue 9.
- Gregor, K., Krause, A., Reyer, C.P.O. et al. 2024. “Quantifying the impact of key factors on the carbon mitigation potential of managed temperate forests.” Carbon Balance Manage 19, 10.
- Gregor, K., Reyer, C. P. O., Nagel, T. A., Mäkelä, A., Krause, A., Knoke, T., & Rammig, A. (2024). Reconciling the EU forest, biodiversity, and climate strategies. Global Change Biology, 30(8), e17431.
- Meyer, B. F., Buras, A., Gregor, K., Layritz, L. S., Principe, A., Kreyling, J., Rammig, A., & Zang, C. S. (2024). Frost matters: Incorporating late-spring frost into a dynamic vegetation model regulates regional productivity dynamics in European beech forests. Biogeosciences, 21(5), 1355–1370.
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