EFORWOOD (6. PR)

Project description

EFORWOOD is an integrated project, (IP) funded under the Sixth Framework Programme for European Research & Technological Development of the European Union, Priority 6.3 Global Change and Ecosystems.

Project goals

The aim of the project is to provide methodologies and tools that will, for the first time, integrate Sustainability Impact Assessment of the whole European Forestry-Wood Chain (FWC), by quantifying performance of FWC, using indicators for all three pillars of sustainability; environmental, economic and societal. The project will provide methods to assess the sustainability impacts of modifications of Forestry-Wood Chains as influenced by policy changes, market drivers, or technological innovations.

The objective of EFORWOOD is to develop a quantitative decision support tool for Sustainability Impact Assessment of the European Forestry-Wood Chain (FWC) and subsets thereof (e.g. regional), covering forestry, industrial manufacturing, consumption and recycling.

The multi-functionality of the FWC is taken into account by using indicators to assess the sustainability of production processes and by including in the analysis the various products and services of the FWC.

Characteristics of the project

Forest-based industries (FBI) provide direct employment and income for up to 3 million people in the European Union and account for close to 10% of the manufacturing industry’s total production and value-added, according the European Commission’s FBI website. The EU forestry sector’s clients are mostly small and medium-sized local and national enterprises. Wealth creation through FBI is significantly above industry averages. This underscores the importance of making the sector efficient and environmentally sustainable. But to ensure this is the case in Europe, cutting edge research is critical. Research funding schemes, such as the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), provide a platform and the right momentum for researchers and many different stakeholders to collaborate on major projects of value to Europe’s bottom line.

The Tool of Sustainability Impact Assessment (ToSIA) is the main product of EFORWOOD and will be elaborated during the four phases of the project. This tool will allow the assessment of the FWC (Forestry Wood Chain) based on previously determined social, economical and environmental indicators and it will be developed as a dynamic analysis model, using a consistent and harmonized framework from the forest to the end-of-life of final products.

EFORWOOD gathers together a wide range of experts from technical, environmental, social and economical science from 38 different organisations across Europe, including three overseas partners. Due to its multidisciplinary and multinational nature, the project requires sophisticated coordination and management. The project is structured in 7 interrelated modules, each of them with several work packages:

• M0: Scientific Co-ordination and IP Management;
• M1: Sustainability Impact Assessment;
• M2: Forest Resources Management;
• M3: Forest to Industry Interactions;
• M4: Processing and Manufacturing;
• M5: Industry to Consumer Interactions;
• M6: Knowledge Transfer.

Scope of IBL participation

The Forest Research Institute (IBL) is involved in Module 2 (Forest resources and management). Module 2 (M2) aims at improving knowledge, methods and tools to assess the sustainability of forests and raw material production in the context of present and future FWCs. M2 will concentrate on key forest types and tree species for wood production in Europe and on several different scales (from local to European).

Module 2 is divided into the following Workpackages:

• WP 2.0: Module management;
• WP 2.1: Sustainable Forest Management Strategies;
• WP 2.2: Environmental services;
• WP 2.3: Social values;
• WP 2.4: Risk assessment;
• WP 2.5: Integrated modeling tools.

IBL is participating in two Workpackages:

WP 2.1 – aimed at characterization and evaluation of forest management impacts on wood quantity and quality and economic indicators. WP 2.1 addresses the issues related to the adaptation and conversion of forest and site management strategies to changing environmental conditions, to evolving FWCs and to changing social demands: site conditions of production forests vary, and forest management varies among European countries. The responsible person is Dr Sławomir Ambroży.

WP 2.4. – aimed at evaluation of forest vulnerability and damages for main types of hazards (storms, fires, pests and diseases). WP 2.4 will develop appropriate simulation and monitoring tools to evaluate the sensitivity of management strategies to hazards and to provide pertinent risk and damage indicators directly connected with European policy for the protection of forests and monitoring actions (Forest Focus). The responsible person is Dr Wojciech Grodzki.

The main area of interest in Poland is the Upper Silesia region (Regional Directorate of the State Forests in Katowice), and the Scots pine as the main tree species in consideration. Additionally, IBL is responsible for the integration of data and information about the risks in Norway spruce forests in Central region (European level).

Project contractors

Department of Forest Management in Mountain Regions
39 Fredry Street, 30-605 Kraków
tel. + 48 12 252 8208, + 48 12 252 8212
fax. + 48 12 252 8202
dr inż. Sławomir Ambroży
dr inż. Wojciech Grodzki

Partners

*K – koordynator, P – partner