The new forests of Europe

Symposium organised by

Bob Bunce, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
info@iale2013.eu

Summary

The symposium will explore new forests that are developing across Europe including planned afforestation and natural regeneration on abandoned land. Presentations will describe the current status of these new forests with particular emphasis on their landscape ecological impacts and assess the potential for future change.

Description

Throughout Europe new forests have been developing. These forests have led to major changes in the composition and structure of landscapes where they occur and the way they function. The origin of these forests varies according to local environment from the abandonment of summer farms in Norway, afforestation of exotic conifers in upland Britain to declines in traditional farming in tourist regions of Spain. The objective of this symposium is therefore to describe the current status of these new forests with particular emphasis on their landscape ecological impacts.

Presentations will assess the potential for future change because these will also vary according to local conditions. New initiatives such as wilding in Britain are also taking place but in many situations such as the extensive new areas of scrub in Spain there is a policy vacuum. Contributions are therefore invited at national or regional scales with appropriate discussions of the underlying driving forces involved and suggestions of new policies.

The symposium will include people working in forestry research, policy and practice across Europe and will appeal to anyone with an interest in the future of new forests.

Impact

The symposium will develop new and existing research networks and identify opportunities for collaborative research projects. Selected papers will be developed for submission to journals.