3RD
IMACFORD MEETING
The
two previous IMACFORD meetings were mainly addressed to end-users in order to
find out their preferences in Mediterranean forest research, whereas this
meeting focused on scientists, taking into account current and future forest
research in the Mediterranean and the consideration of the end-users opinion.
There
were 50 participants in the meeting. The participant list is available at
http://www.medforex.net/imacford.
Jerome
Guerif, President
of INRA-Avignon, and Xavier F. Ballabriga, CTFC President,
opened the conference with the welcome speeches. Americo Mendes chaired the
session and the following presentations were given:
Presentation
1: Pere Riera presented the objectives and background of both
IMACFORD project (a 6FP Accompanying Measure) and MEDFOREX network. CTFC
coordinates task B of IMACFORD dealing with Mediterranean forests. This and
subsequent presentations are available at http://www.medforex.net/imacford.
Presentation
2: Leena Roihuvuo presented the Sixth
Framework Program. She summarised the current situation within the 6FP (3 calls
available, coming deadlines, Work Program for 1st and 2nd
call) and within IMACFORD (role in networking and future research preparation,
previous meetings and future schedule). She pointed out the main 3 entries in
6FP for forestry research (Priority 6.3. “Global Change and Ecosystems”;
Priority 3 (iii): New production processes and devices; and Pritory 8.1:
“Policy Oriented-Research”), as well as the main fields of interest for the EFI
network within the Work Program. Particularly, MEDFOREX could apply for
different projects, such as under II.3.3.b) New Approaches to Water stress or
III.4.1. Assessing large scale environmental risks, etc. There are also opportunities
for projects on Externalities. Finally, the 6FP instruments were explained. IP
(Integrated Projects) and NoE (Nets of Excellence) are the most important ones,
but there are also CA (coordination actions) and SSA (Specific Support
Actions). There is an increasing emphasis in integration, multidisciplinarity
and inclusion of stakeholders in projects.
Presentation
3: Giuseppe Scarascia gave a presentation
focussing on research gaps in Mediterranen forestry, titled “Forests of the Mediterranean region: gaps in knowledge and research
needs”. He suggested various research priorities regarding
interactions between land cover management and biological diversity, genetic
studies, climate change impacts and adaptation, sustainable management of
Mediterranean forests, human perception, landscape structure and ecosystems. He
emphasised that Mediterranean forests have very high biodiversity, with high
attractiveness. On the other hand, they have difficult socio-economic
conditions and a history of over-exploitation of the Mediterranean forests.
Therefore, a scientifically sound conservation strategy and a locally-tailored
sustainable management should be implemented. Among these strategies,
silvicultural and management strategies appropriate for southern European
forests should be stressed, as well as social issues in order to solve the
current problems.
Presentation
4: Carles Gracia gave a presentation on water stress from a
plant physiology point of view titled “Mediterranean Forestry Management in an
Increasingly Dry Environment”. He highlighted that Mediterranean areas live in
permanent water shortage (which tends to increase), through empirical measures
(evapotranspiration rate appears to be very high compared to rainfall and runoff).
He showed that forest production and forest fires are directly related to water
availability. He also demonstrated that thinning induces resprouting and
reduces drought. He stressed the importance of underground biomass (fine roots)
in Mediterranean ecosystems. Finally, he presented gaps in Mediterranean forest
knowledge regarding climate change and increase of droughts in the future.
Presentation
5: Pere Riera presented a study on forest economics carried
out together with Anssi Niskanen (EFI) titled “On forest externalities,
valuation, and related concepts”. This paper aims to clarify various concepts
related to externalities and valuation, which are also applicable to forestry,
through a comprehensive literature review. The origin, evolution and current
use of concepts (such as internal and external economy, the social use,
externalities, public goods, property right, types of values –use and non-use
values-, total economy value) are examined, together with valuation methods.
Presentation
6: Jean-Charles Valette presented the EUFIRE
laboratory, which aims to promote co-operation between research teams,
networking, exchanges of knowledge and know-how and to generate common
methodologies, languages and results in the field of wild forest fires in the
Mediterranean region, involving not only scientists but also stakeholders and
endusers. The main topics developed by
each work group were presented, as well as the organisation of the EUFIRELAB.
Presentation
7: José G. Borges’ presentation on information technology
was postponed for the next day, as the he was unable to attend the meeting. His
presentation was titled “Information Systems and Technology for Natural
Resources Management”. He explained the strategy to transfer the specificity of
natural resources to decision making that has been developed through a process
that includes various stages: data collection, knowledge generation, technology
generation for land-use planning and management. He emphasised stakeholders and
institutions involvement and the importance of communicating. Finally, he
mentioned several recent information systems developed at a regional, national
and international level and for industries. Rui Pedro Ribeiro made a practical
example of how these information systems worked.
After
this presentation, discussion tackled the need to develop methodologies at the
landscape level, at higher scales not only taking into account forestry, but
also all land-uses and more general topics (climate change, etc). Comments on the special conditions of coastal
and highland areas, which need to be carefully considered in research, were
made. The concept of human landscapes and consideration of stakeholder’s views
in research was also pointed out. The problems of transferring information and
knowledge to society were also mentioned. Clarification on carbon absorption
and the role of the root system in Mediterranean forests was also made. The
issues of the role of externalities in the 6FP and the price of timber were
also included in the discussion. (See Appendix for a more detailed discussion).
Participants
were divided in 2 groups ( of around 25 people) in order to deal with the list
of topics that resulted from the last IMACFORD meeting in Lisbon and to discuss
the following questions:
(1) Could you complete the current list of most relevant research topics?
(2) Could you rank the topics, according to your view of research priorities
from a scientific perspective?
(3) Could you identify 3 interesting cross-disciplinary projects for 6FP or
other programs?
Group
discussion presentation
The
results from discussion are also available at http://www.medforex.net/imacford.
Both groups included new interesting topics to the list provided.
Group
1: Anssi Niskanen
presented the discussion carried out by group 1. First of all, they voted the
listed topics according to their importance, and the most voted issues were:
After
that, there was a brain-storming process in order to list ideas of possible relevant
cross-cutting projects, which were also voted and are also recorded at http://www.medforex.net/imacford:
Group
2: Vasiliki Kazana reported on the discussion
among participants in group 2. There was agreement in the fact that the list
suffered from a lack of structure, as there were different scale issues, overlaps,
etc. The list could was reorganised under the following topics:
1) Processes
·
Socio-economic and institutional (SCP)
·
Ecosystems (EP)
2) Tools-Management (T)
3) Policies (P).
The
following cross-cutting projects were considered interesting for future
research:
It
was a long and deep discussion in both groups, with critical comments on the
structure of the list and it was not an easy task.
Jean-Michel
Carnus explained the work carried out by task B1 of IMACFORD project, which is
coordinated by the IEFC in Bordeaux. Their work has similar objectives to task
B2 (coordinated by CTFC), but they deal with Atlantic forests. They are also
carrying out several meetings. The first sets of meetings consist in discussion
between scientists in order to face the following the main innovations for the
future: production, wood products and impacts of innovation. Afterwards, there
will be regional meetings to discuss with endusers. Their discussion consists
in a bit more prospective exercise, which focuses on the wood chains.
Vasiliki
stressed that Scarascia’s presentation on the landscape dimension and
ecophysiological research is now very basic and general, and asked about more
detailed research lines. Scarascia replied that he meant that it is necessary
to develop methodologies at the landscape level. Although there is still a
limitation, there are already new methodologies (such as remote sensing or
carbon fluxes) that are very useful. Also, it is necessary to start managing
forest for a standard scale (such as a river basin), taking into account other
kinds of uses a part from forestry (pastures, etc). Scarascia emphasised the need of forest research, but also of
connecting this research to other issues, such as climate change and other
global issues.
Eduardo
Rojas pointed out that coastal and high lands are not specifically
Mediterranean, and that the same situation can be found in other places. These
areas face a big challenge to be managed everywhere. Scarascia replied that
obviously coastal issues were not only Mediterranean, but that Mediterranean
coastal areas have very specific particularities (such as water scarcity,
different atmospheric conditions).
Jean-Paul
Chassany said that the stakeholders and actors are not very much present
in “their” thinking. Biodiversity, landscapes, etc have a long history as well
as the manipulation of the trees by the human kind. He stressed the fact of
understanding how the various actors use and manage Mediterranean forests over
time. Vasiliki Kazana agreed with him and remarked that landscape is a broad
concept that not only involves vegetation, but also the interaction with
people. The ideal would be to integrate everything. Pere Riera agreed with Jean
Paul Chassany and highlighted that IMACFORD tries to make a platform between
researchers and end-users to deal with Mediterranean forest research.
Carles
Gracia also highlighted that, although his starting point is the physiological
research, there is a need to transfer results to the upper landscape scale, and
models are very good thinking tools that may help to bridge the gap between
localised research and general issues. However, it is more difficult to
transfer research findings to society, which is normally done through
administration. Even if the contacts and relations with administration are
good, this transference of information and knowledge is very slow.
Jean
Bonnier pointed out the fact that landscape is dynamic and interacts with society,
which is why more information and work on the evolution of our society is
required in order to find out how forests and forestry will change.
Morchedai
Sheckter asked for clarification about underground carbon absorption and carbon
in the roots. He also agreed that looking at forest as a landscape may bring
some benefits. Carles Gracia replied that constant figures to transfer from
volume to carbon are still being used. 4-5 months ago, there were only 2
biomass expansion factors: one for evergreen species and the other one for
deciduous tree species. We only rely on one value and this means that
estimations are not very reliable. As for the turnover of carbon, fertilisation
of CO2 is taken into account. The response will be very different in different
parts of the Mediterranean, though. Even at the top of the watershed and at the
bottom responses are different. If there is no water in the atmosphere it is
not possible to use CO2. Regarding mechanisms to transfer carbon from the atmosphere
to the roots, it depends on the organic matter. There is a small part of carbon
that remains in the roots for a very long time, most carbon returns quickly to
the atmosphere, but it needs to be taken into account. Finally he remarked that
landscape is not homogeneous and it is difficult to simplify. It is good,
though, if we know the mechanism is OK.
Carles
Gracia explained that they have some coppices that are not natural forest. They
were artificial plantations that are now abandoned, it is very dry now. There
is a need to recover the natural structures so that they have a better
response.
Risto
asked Pere Riera if he could elaborate a bit more on externalities, which were
included under the topic “sustainable development” in the 6th EU
Framework Program.
Pere
Riera finally referred to price of timber. It should be the same as in
agriculture, and it should take into account more factors.