Stress on tree vitality is expected to increase due to climatic extremes in European forests. The decline in vitality of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) that has been reported recently, makes it necessary to rethink its future adaptive potential under ongoing climate change. Here we performed a pan European assessment of defoliation chronologies on 414 ICP Forests Level I beech plots, between 1995 and 2022. We investigated the temporal trends, spatial variation, tree-specific patterns as well as climate sensitivity of defoliation at plot level. Various trends emerged and we delineated the plots accordingly: 1) increasing defoliation trends indicating declining vitality (categorized as t1 plots); 2) no trends indicating stable crown condition (t2 plots); 3) decreasing defoliation trends indicating increase in vitality (t3 plots).

Spatial variation was found among these plots but no regional grouping or clustering. Tree-specific patterns on 14 % plots were observed, characterized by an expressed population signal of < 0.85, indicating high inter-tree variability. Defoliation was found to be sensitive to climatic variables, mainly to temperature but also precipitation, albeit only for a small percentage of plots. Sensitivity was indicated by statistically significant (p<0.05) Pearson’s correlation coefficients.

Moreover, this response depended on month of the year. Climate sensitivity of defoliation also varied across space and plots of different trend categories. It also differed along monthly water balance gradient, further indicating the role of site-specific water availability in mediating the responses to climatic variables.

Our study provided basis for long-term defoliation studies, and is a crucial building block to assess beech vitality under potentially changing future climate. Furthermore, such studies will provide more insights into changes in sensitivity and adequate future sites for beech.

A new study published in Nature provides insights into the development of the global forest carbon sink over three decades.

National Institute of Forest Science (NIFoS) (2024). The first synthesis report on climate change impact assessment for forest sector:  Summary for policymakers. Cho, J.H., Yang, H., Choi, W.I., Park, G.E., Kirn, E.S., Jang, K., Yim, J.S., Lee, B., Jung, J.Y., Choi, H.T., Jang, Y., Kirn, C., Um, Y., Kirn, S., Kwon, C., Eu, S., Nam, Y., Cho, Y., Park, Y., Park, C.R., and San, D.C. National Institute of Forest Science, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 59 pp.

Understanding the adaptive potential of populations in the face of environmental challenges is crucial for effective management and conservation strategies. Genomic approaches offer valuable insights into this adaptive potential, but their application in this context still requires further development.

This Special Issue aims to delve deeper into how genomic variation influences responses to environmental pressures. By examining the genetic basis of adaptation potential, a better understanding of the mechanisms can be gained that enable populations to cope with changing environments. Such knowledge is essential for predicting how populations will respond to future environmental changes, such as climate change, new pest and disease outbreaks, habitat fragmentation and destruction, and pollution.

Forests worldwide are experiencing increasingly intense biotic disturbances; however, assessing impacts of these disturbances is challenging due to the diverse range of organisms involved and the complex interactions among them. This particularly applies to invasive species, which can greatly alter ecological processes in their invaded territories. This paper has a focus on the pine wood nematode (PWN, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), an invasive pathogen that has caused extensive mortality of pines in East Asia and more recently has invaded southern Europe. It is expected to expand its range into continental Europe with heavy impacts possible.

Rita Sousa-Silva and colleagues have reviewed commonalities and differences between Agroforestry and Urban Forestry: Agroforestry and urban forestry have evolved mainly as separate disciplines, although they share a long history of tree cultivation in man-made environments. Here, they review their common threads, exploring how trees in both systems interact with and shape their environments. They examine common themes and methodologies – ranging from tree growth dynamics to environmental stressors, ecosystem services provision, and questions of governance – and identify opportunities for synergies between these fields. They emphasize the potential of agroforestry and urban forestry for enhancing multifunctional landscapes. Geographical divides in research are evident, with agroforestry predominantly studied in the Global South and urban forestry receiving more attention in the Global North. However, significant research gaps provide avenues for collaboration, for instance, addressing challenges in capturing the monetary and socio-cultural value of ecosystem services and environmental justice considerations. In light of the growing need for integrated approaches in addressing contemporary challenges, from climate change mitigation and adaptation to community well-being, our review explores what these research fields can learn from each other and provides recommendations for fostering greater interdisciplinary dialogue and new avenues for collaborations in a meaningful and synergistic manner, aiming to advance policy, research, and practice in agroforestry and urban forestry.

Submissions are invited for a Special issue of 'Forest Policy and Economics'.

This Special Issue aims to assemble a spectrum of quality research covering a wide range of topics related to work and employment in the forest sector. Papers published in this SI will contribute to a deeper understanding of the current status of forest-related employment and how it is developed across economies and regions. It also aims at taking stock of relevant studies from various geographic and levels of analyses offers a lens for identifying knowledge gaps and future trends in this field of research.

To fully represent the multifaceted aspects of work and employment in the forest sector, studies are invited that address one or more of the following topics, but not limited to: - Contribution of forests and the forest sector to employment; - Causes and consequences of informal economy in the forest sector; - Data and methods for measuring employment indicators relevant to the forest sector; - OSH for the forest-related workforce, including the effectiveness of OSH infrastructure, policies, and legislation; - Adequate earnings and social security coverage for forest-related workforce; - Women and youth in the forest-sector labour market and gender inequalities at work; - Green, blue job opportunities; - Governance in the world of forest-related work, such as forest certification, labour standards; - Education and training required for the future workforce; - Sustainable business models of forest- based value chains relevant to the labour aspects.

The Forests Monitor (FM) is an international peer-reviewed open-access journal, devoted to the science of multifunctional forest ecosystems, that aims to enhance management and conservation in support of good forest governance worldwide.

The next Issue will be published by the end of December 2024, and the deadline to submit papers is 30 June 2024.