Distributed, integrated and harmonised forest information for bioeconomy outlooks

The increasing competition for forest resources will necessitate new forest-related policies across different sectors. These policies demand relevant, harmonised, comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date information. As a response to this challenge, the DIABOLO project brings together 33 partners from scientific institutions in 25 European countries, including experts in the fields of policy analysis, forest inventory and forest modelling, who have live linkages to European and national policy institutions and stakeholder networks.

Background and Objective

Our forests are in big demand. Increasing demand for biomass and other ecosystem goods and services calls for changes in forest-related policies at different levels and across different sectors. To deliver high impact, beyond state-of-the-art work within the ecological and socio-economic diversity in Europe, the transdisciplinary DIABOLO involves experts in quantitative modelling, policy science and NFIs, from 25 European countries, committed to provide new methodologies and information for various end-uses, including FISE , GLOBIOM and FAO/UNECE.

How can we provide relevant, harmonised, comprehensive and reliable up-to-date data and information?

First – improvements in the methods of data collection, such as national forest inventories and monitoring systems, in order to produce more accurate, harmonised and timely information that can be fed into EU forest information systems

Second – consistent, up-to-date forest information to support the development of EU policies and international processes

Third – methodologies to make innovative use of data collected using terrestrial, aerial and space based platforms.

Approach

1. Strengthen the methodological framework for more accurate, harmonised and timely information from forest inventories and monitoring systems, to feed into EU information systems (SEIS, EFDAC)
2. Support the development of EU policies and international processes relying on consistent forest information
3. Make innovative use of field collected data and EC space-based applications of Earth observation and satellite positioning systems.

Our Research Questions

1. Identify demands for and gaps in the provision of forest information (WP1)
2. Develop new models for Europe-wide harmonised forest information (WP2)
3. Improve the availability and quality of forest information and explore the combined use of NFI and Earth observation data to improve methods for delivering indicators on forest spatial patterns and their changes (WP3)
4. Improve forest disturbance monitoring systems using new European satellite data, providing near real-time information on forest disturbance (WP4)
5. Deepen insight into the sustainability of biomass supply and trade-offs with other ecosystem products and services, using the EFDM and GLOBIOM models (WP5)
6. Increase the impact of the project outcomes by disseminating results through WP-specific end user panels and an international advisory group (WP6)

Preliminary Results

Expected impacts based on the harmonised information of DIABOLO:

1. Improved coherence of support for forestry-related policies
2. Harmonised and improved European estimation of biomass supplies
3. Improved knowledge communication and information exchange between political decision makers and forest data providers
4. Improved UN-ECE statistics that use NFI data
5. Strengthened capacity for assessing risks and monitoring forest disturbances using new Earth Observation data
6. Improved understanding of trade-offs between biomass supply and other ecosystem products and services
7. Knowledge transfer among NFIs, emerging NFIs avail
8. Better knowledge of Europe’s forest resources, their availability and their sustainable future supply

Links and Downloads

diabolo-project.eu

Thünen-Contact

• Riedel, Thomas Institute of Forest Ecosystems

Involved Thünen-Partners

• Klatt, Susann Institute of Forest Ecosystems

Funding Body

• European Union (EU)
  (international, öffentlich)

Duration

3.2015 - 2.2019

More Information

Projekt type:
Project funding number: 633464
Funding program: EU – Horizon 2020 – Societal Challenge "Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine, Maritime and Inland Water Research and the Bioeconomy"
Project status: ongoing

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