Report by Report by Mika Rekola, University of Helsinki (UH), Coordinator of IUFRO Research Group 6.09.00 Forest education, https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-6/60000/60900/

At the IUFRO Symposium on Forest Education https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/iufro-symposium-forest-education in Finland, which involved RG 6.09.00 and the Joint IUFRO-IFSA Task Force on Forest Education https://www.iufro.org/science/task-forces/forest-education/, participants discussed gaps in forest education at university and college level including further education, forest education curricula such as the Forest Education Global Core Curriculum (FEGCO), and digital tools and platforms. Two main questions were addressed:

How can education best combine theory and practice?
How can digital tools enhance forest education?

Online degrees and micro-certificates offer an efficient approach to delivering forest education, particularly to professionals in the field. Oregon State University (OSU), for instance, is a leader in this space and currently provides over a hundred online degree programs.

However, integrating theory with practical experience necessitates the involvement of a wide array of stakeholders, additional instructional design resources, and the engagement of faculty members. Leveraging modern digital and mobile technologies has demonstrated the feasibility of online forest education, as showcased during the symposium.

Dianna Fisher, representing Oregon State University (OSU) in the USA, delivered an informative overview of OSU's extensive experience in distance education and shared insights on how to develop a successful online program. OSU boasts a 25-year history of providing complete university degrees online, now offering over 100 programs, including several in the field of forestry. Dianna underscored the critical role of instructional design in amalgamating the best learning theories, design methodologies, and digital tools.

Pipiet Larasatie from the University of Arkansas, USA, discussed the planning process for a new, highly flexible adult continuing education business model—the HyFlex graduate program in Forest Business. This program will allow students to study in person, participate in real-time online classes, and access recorded lectures.

Jorma Neuvonen, representing the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada, presented the need for and plans related to micro-certificate programs for continuing education. In British Columbia, both professional requirements and personal reasons drive non-degree learning, making it mandatory for registered professional foresters to engage in and report continuing professional development annually.

Sandra Sharry from Universidad Nacional de la Plata explained forest education policies in Argentina, addressing challenges related to new quality standards and the incorporation of ICTs. These policies include accreditation standards for degrees, with challenges such as a low number of graduates and extended graduation timelines.

In addition to the aforementioned keynote addresses 10 voluntary presentations were delivered. Topics included, for instance, wood science education (Higashihara Takashi) and forest sciences programmes' curricula analysis (Mariko Inoue) in Japan. Joint master's degree programmes in Asia Pacific (Wang, Guangyu and Zeng, Suzy) and in Europe (Marjoriitta Möttönen and Isabel Muñoz Hidalgo) were touched upon to show the power of educational networks. Ari Talkkari and Ilkka Korpela delivered presentations about forest management teaching in Finland.

Presentations from Latin America covered experiences and reflections from teaching forest economics in Costa Rica (Sergio Molina-Murillo), gender issues in forestry education in Brazil (Claudia Moster), and forestry education in Mexico (Lujan Alvarez).

A presentation from Poland by Laroslaw Bator focused on the tools provided by the State Forest Service for forest and park visitors, highlighting the immersive potential of virtual reality (VR) in conveying information and emotions compared to traditional media.

Rob Kozak, the Dean of UBC College of Forestry, delivered the closing remarks, emphasizing the role of AI in formulating teaching strategies and the importance of education as a means to transfer scientific knowledge from theory to practice.

The Symposium also featured short presentations from forest educational organizations in Finland, including TAPIO (Reetta Pihljerta), Metsäkoulutus ry (Mika Rekola), Metsäkeskus (Tuula Jusko), and the Department of Education at the University of Helsinki (Anne Nevgi).

Furthermore, the working agenda of the IUFRO Research Group Forest education https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-6/60000/60900/ was presented by RG coordinator Mika Rekola from the University of Helsinki. The key topics in the agenda revolved around international peer-review systems for university teachers, global core curricula, and the development of a forest science undergraduate-level textbook based on these discussions.

The event included visits to digital education (augmented reality) at Metsä Group in Lohja's Kirkniemi and a unique forest education observation experience. In the University of Helsinki field station Hyytiälä teachers Ilkka Korpela and Mika Rekola imparted knowledge on ecosystem services and forest measurements to the first-year forest sciences' BSc students, offering a practical culmination to the symposium.

The symposium was sponsored by Metsämiesten Säätiö Foundation.
Meeting website:  https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/iufro-symposium-forest-education

Report by Suzanne Afanou, IEFC Communications Manager https://www.plantedforests.org/, supporting IUFRO Task Force Resilient Planted Forests Serving Society & Bioeconomy https://www.iufro.org/science/task-forces/resilient-planted-forests/

Global change is increasing and diversifying the risks that threaten European forests:  drought, insects, fire, storms, hail, etc. In the case of planted forests, where an investor is betting on the future, the role of insurance in protecting against these risks is essential. However, we have observed that in some countries the level of risk is calling into question the principle of insuring forests, so it seemed appropriate to invite insurance experts to share their views on the future role of insurance in forests.

The webinar "Let's Talk About Planted Forests:  Forest Risk and Insurance" on 19 January 2024 was co-organized by the IEFC (European Institute of Planted Forest), the IUFRO Task Force "Resilient Planted Forest Serving Society & Bioeconomy" and the EFI Research Network on Planted Forests and attracted 67 participants from 35 countries.

Webinar replay (access restricted to IEFC members):  https://www.plantedforests.org/webinars-replays/19-01-2024-lets-talk-about-planted-forests-forest-risk-and-insurance/

The IEFC invited three speakers to offer their perspectives:

• Guillaume Bouffard, MISSO GROUPAMA:  "Recent bushfires in Australia and France:  lessons learnt for an insurer specializing in forest risks"
• Phil Cottle, ForestRe Ltd. "Protecting your forestry investment – Overview of climate, loss profiles, extremes & risk management"
• Peter Welten, Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd., "The current forestry insurance market from a reinsurance perspective"

The consensus among the speakers and audience was that most of the market for forest insurance is associated to planted forests where investors are ready to protect their investment. However, these forests represent only 7% of the forest worldwide and are poorly insured considering that the penetration is only 5/10%.

The speakers concluded that in a context where risks are increasing, insurance and reinsurance are playing a major role to protect forests and make sure that investors do not go away from this market. But the estimate of real risk for professionals is complex and is clearly led by the frequency of extreme events, although the monitoring of small size events is also required to better understand the reality of damages in forests. There was also a debate about business models of insurance and how to diversify the portfolio in a world with multiple risks.

The next edition of "Let's talks about planted forest" will address automatization and robots in plantations.

Report by Stuart Fraser, Scion, New Zealand, Coordinator of IUFRO Working Party 7.02.13 Forest health in southern hemisphere commercial plantations https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-7/70000/70200/70213/

From 18 to 21 September 2023, IUFRO Working Parties 7.02.13 Forest Health in Southern Hemisphere Commercial Plantations, and 7.02.03 Vascular wilt diseases https://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-7/70000/70200/70203/, convened a meeting in Campo Grande, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, that attracted 190 participants from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Israel, Italy, Paraguay, South Africa, United States, and Uruguay.

Meeting website:  https://eventos.galoa.com.br/secondiufrowpmeeting/page/2462-home

Mato Grosso do Sul has the second largest area of forest plantation in Brazil and faces challenges from a range of pests and diseases. It was therefore an excellent location to gather and discuss the theme of the conference novel and classical strategies to manage forest health in plantations.

The day before the main conference, a Sirex woodwasp workshop was held, funded by the Australian National Sirex Coordination Committee. Presenters from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina discussed impact and management of sirex in pine plantations. This meeting was styled on similar meetings in South Africa in 2007 and Brazil in 1996. The group agreed to collate data from the presentations and discussions into a global update of Sirex woodwasp impact and management in pine plantations, to be published later in 2024.

Themes from sessions and presentations included:

• Biological control of insect pests
• Biosecurity in forestry
• Climate change impacts on forest pest and diseases
• Forest protection cooperative programs
• Health management of pine plantations
• Globally important forestry diseases
• Management of Glycaspis brimblecombei
• Management of leaf-cutting ants
• Management of myrtle rust

Round table discussions included:

• New technologies in pest and disease management
• Plant breeding resistance for pest and diseases 
• Possibilities and constraints of Genetically Modified Organism in forest health

Topics of the field trip included:

• Impact and management of the red lerp psyllid, myrtle/eucalyptus rust, leaf cutter ants, and Ceratocystis in eucalypt plantations
• Surveillance of pests and diseases in plantations
• Research to identify thresholds of pest/pathogen attack/levels to enable effective control to be delivered to alleviate growth losses

The meeting enabled researchers and forest managers to present research and discuss operational management of pests and diseases from many countries across the Southern Hemisphere. It highlighted differences across continents — such as differing pests and disease issues of endemic and native pests of eucalypt plantations in Australia (where eucalypts are native) and South America (where eucalypts are introduced). Examples include (1) the red gum lerp psyllid, which is not a pest of eucalypt plantations in Australia but a major pest in Brazil, (2) leaf cutter ants, a major endemic pest of eucalypts in Brazil with no equivalent pest in Australia, and (3) Ceratocystis wilt, which is a major disease in some countries, an emerging pathogen in Brazil, and a biosecurity threat to Australia. Cross-country collaboration, such as BiCEP https://bicep.net.au/, can assist in managing this broad suite of pests and pathogens, with ongoing discussions among attendees at the meeting.

Similarities were also presented and discussed, including (1) biosecurity threats across global scales, (2) use of remote sensing and AI to quantify and map risk, and (3) use of transformational technologies for diagnostics, surveillance, and development of management strategies.

The need for continued development of technical expertise was a key discussion topic across the meeting. It was good to see a lot of early- and mid-career researchers and practitioners from Brazil attending the meeting and being heavily involved in management of pests and diseases in South America. It appeared there was a good transition of researchers into employment by forestry companies in Brazil. In contrast, this is something that both Australia and New Zealand are struggling with - maintaining technical capacity in forest health and biosecurity with an ageing workforce.

The next in-person meeting of WP 7.02.03 will be held in Greece in 2025. The date and location of the next in-person meeting of WP 7.02.13 are still to be defined, but it will likely be in 2026.

This was the second meeting of WP 7.02.13, the second meeting of WP 7.02.03 since its reactivation, and the first combined meeting of the two Working Parties. It consisted of three days of talks and a one-day field trip. The meeting was kindly hosted and sponsored by:  IUFRO, Unesp (Brazil), IPEF (Brazil), Embrapa Florestas (Brazil), UFGD (Brazil), Scion (New Zealand), Arauco (Chile), Udelar (Uruguay), NSW Department of Primary Industries (Australia) and FABI (South Africa); Abraisca, SENAI, Mato Grosso do Sul Government, Reflore, SENAR, Koppert, SEBRAE, Capes, Bracell, Eldorado, Suzano, Arauco, Lacan, Manulife, Ramires. The local organization of the meeting was led by Carlos Wilcken, UNESP, and Murilo Ribeiro, IPEF. Study tours to Bracell's and Suzano's plantations on Ribas do Rio Pardo, Brazil, rounded off the event.

By Nelson Grima, IUFRO-SciPol

IUFRO's Science-Policy Programme https://www.iufro.org/science/science-policy/ is undertaking a follow-up study on International Forest Governance https://www.iufro.org/science/science-policy/follow-up-studies/international-forest-governance-2024/, bringing up to date its 2010 publication "Embracing Complexity:  Meeting the Challenges of International Forest Governance". During 14-15 December 2023, the Lead Authors of this new publication met in Vienna to address the comments received through a double-blind peer and expert review of the first draft of the study, and to discuss the conclusions and key messages that the final assessment will bring forward. The study is expected to be published in early May 2024 during the 19th session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF 19).

There will be a IUFRO World Congress sub-plenary session on international forest governance https://iufro2024.com/science-and-society/#section-15303-1 with authors of the new report. Another Congress SciPol sub-plenary session will focus on regional forest governance issues.

Visit the IUFRO 2024 Congress website:  https://iufro2024.com/

By Viola Belohrad, IUFRO Sci-Pol

IUFRO's Science-Policy Programme https://www.iufro.org/science/science-policy/ has initiated work on a new Global Forest Expert Panels (GFEP https://www.iufro.org/science/science-policy/gfep-initiative/) assessment. Coordinated by IUFRO, GFEP is an initiative of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF https://www.fao.org/collaborative-partnership-on-forests).

By producing objective and independent scientific assessments on key forest-related issues, GFEP aims to effectively link the information requirements of intergovernmental processes related to forests with existing scientific expertise, thus supporting informed decision-making at the global level.

In December 2023, the CPF approved "Forests for Social and Economic Resilience" as the topic for the new GFEP assessment. Given the increasingly rapid, unpredictable, and unprecedented global changes linked to the twin climate change and biodiversity crises, fostering resilience has become a key policy issue.

GFEP will carry out a comprehensive assessment of scientific knowledge regarding the relationship between forests and social and economic resilience with the aim of publishing the findings in 2025.

By Jose Bolaños, IUFRO

The Sri Lanka Forest Department in partnership with the Ecosystem Conservation and Management Project (ESCAMP), IUCN Sri Lanka and IUFRO implemented a project (Sept 2019-Aug 2023) to develop capacities on forest landscape restoration (FLR) in Sri Lanka. The project's aim was to scale up FLR through developing a critical mass of well-trained practitioners. It was funded by the Audemars-Watkins Foundation with an additional financial contribution by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

How did the project affect matters in Sri Lanka?

More than 400 field forest officers across Sri Lanka's 23 forest divisions participated in a locally adapted forest landscape restoration (FLR) training program facilitated by 30 national-level experts and supported by 12 restoration professionals from across the country. The project supported capacity building linking theory with practice in actual field implementation of restoration through local multi-stakeholder consultations and decision making.

Two main field implementation sites were selected for the training covering the main landscape types in Sri Lanka:  Hurulu Forest Landscape in the dry zone with focus on forest restoration within and around a reserve; and Opatha - Kanneliya landscapes in the wet zone for demonstrating native species rehabilitation in the forest reserve and developing livelihood opportunities in the surrounding rural communities.

In three districts, namely, Gal Oya, Polonnaruwa; Attanagalu Oya River Basin, Gampaha; and Kanneliya, Galle Field; officers were also trained in participatory FLR planning and field implementation in close collaboration with governmental departments and local communities.

Likewise, three forest conservation management plans with focus on forest conservation and restoration were prepared for the Knuckles Conservation Forest, Matale; and Sinharaja Conservation Area, Matara and Rathnapura Districts. The objective of preparing these plans was to revisit and revise existing forest management plans to improve forest conservation and restoration impact in these areas.  Plans were prepared for a further 12 districts during the project. There is interest to continue in the remaining 8 districts in future.

Several field components were implemented with participation of field officers and other stakeholders during the project, significantly improving wildlife habitats and forest condition, tourism potential and livelihoods. Field operations included removal of invasive species and habitat maintenance, assisted natural regeneration, repair of wildlife safari jeep trails, developing of medicinal plant and home gardens and environmental awareness.

All 15 FLR plans will be used for selecting activities under different components for annual implementation on the ground. Accordingly, at least the most relevant activities of the holistic plan will be implemented. This will ensure further enhancing ecological integrity and stability of the landscape.

Additionally, forest landscape restoration is proposed to be included as a module in the in-service training program of the Forestry Training Institute at the Sri Lanka Department of Forest Conservation. This will enable capacity development of large numbers of field officers on FLR every year.

All of this will support the implementation of regional ecosystem management plans for two biomes in Sri Lanka, which ESCAMP has been working on with the support of the World Bank.

How it all came together:  Read on and find out about the role of IUFRO-SPDC at:
https://www.iufro.org/science/special/spdc/netw/flr/cb-flr-malsri/sri/

Additional resources:  Implementing Forest Landscape Restoration:  A Practitioner's Guide https://www.iufro.org/science/special/spdc/netw/flr/flr/pract-guide/

By Jose Bolaños, IUFRO

The Suchitepéquez mangrove roundtable is a space where different actors take part in forest landscape restoration efforts. The activities are led by the communities and coordinated by the National Forests Institute (INAB) with the technical support of the Private Institute for Research on Climate Change (ICC). Over the past decade, the joint work has resulted in the restoration of 20 hectares of mangroves across three communities:  El Triunfo, Tahuexco and Chuirirín.

The work has focused on training and raising awareness in the communities on the importance of mangrove forest conservation.

Furthermore, INAB and ICC have provided technical assistance and capacity building on nursery management, plantation maintenance, agroforestry system establishment, forest fire prevention, and other topics. This support aims to diversify livelihoods and alleviate the pressure on the mangrove forest.

Local communities, INAB, ICC, and the local government of Santo Domingo Suchitepéquez have established nurseries for plant production, developed forest plantations and agroforestry systems, as alternatives for families to source firewood and wood without having to rely on mangrove forests. The nurseries also produce plants of mangrove species such as red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) and "botoncillo" (Conocarpus erectus), which are used by the communities for restoration activities in the mangrove areas.

Learn more and watch a video from Suchitepéquez:
https://glfx.globallandscapesforum.org/topics/31747/news/1737557

As community members' interest has grown, nurseries have started producing ornamental plants and fruit trees. These plants have become integral components of forest landscape restoration efforts and offer alternatives for local livelihoods. Adjacent fishing communities also see the benefits as many marine species, including fish and shrimp, use mangroves as nurseries during early life stages.

The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) South Coast Guatemala chapter aims to promote forest landscape restoration in the Pacific lowlands of Guatemala and enable exchange of experiences regionally and globally. It communicates activities of the South Coast Restoration Network and is an initiative of ICC, INAB and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). The chapter is part of GLFx, the GLF's network of community-led chapters and online communities of practice to accelerate local action towards more sustainable landscapes:
https://glfx.globallandscapesforum.org/topics/31747

Under the banner of Generation Restoration, the Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL) and the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) launched the Restoration Stewards program in 2020 to support and highlight the work of young restoration practitioners and their teams across the world, dubbed 'Restoration Stewards'. https://stewards.globallandscapesforum.org/

In 2024, the Restoration Stewards and their teams will be supported to further develop their projects and will themselves become ambassadors at both global and local levels. Globally, the Restoration Stewards will share their journey in a series of vlogs and blogs documenting their stories of inspiration and challenges. Locally, they will spark a restoration movement, creating pathways to connect, share, learn, and act for more sustainable landscapes.

Meet the next cohort of restoration stewards:
https://www.globallandscapesforum.org/glf-news/restoration-stewards-meet-the-young-experts-nurturing-the-worlds-ecosystems-in-2024/

IUFRO as a Charter member of GLF remains a strong partner in this initiative through its Special Programme for Development of Capacities (SPDC). For the 2024 edition, IUFRO has nominated Adejoke Olukemi Akinyele, Sub Dean (Postgraduate), Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, to represent IUFRO as a mentor for Anna Obi Akpe in the project Restoration of the mangroves in Esierebom Community of Calabar South Local Government Area, Nigeria.

Given her expertise in landscape restoration, Nigerian forest research and education, her active role in developing restoration education in Africa, and inspirational and constructive attitude, Adejoke Olukemi Akinyele https://events.globallandscapesforum.org/speaker/adejoke-olukemi-akinyele/ will be an excellent mentor.

Text adapted from the original published by ICC, available here in English and Spanish:
https://glfx.globallandscapesforum.org/topics/31747/news/1737557

Veronika Juch

Veronika joined IUFRO HQ in December as coordinator for the Secretariat of the European Wood Policy Platform (woodPoP). Veronika will also work as new project manager for IUFRO's Directors' Forum. https://www.iufro.org/science/partnership-projects/woodpop/

Following her graduation with a Diploma from the University of Vienna in Political Science and a master's degree in Affaires Européennes from Sciences Po Paris in 2014, Veronika has worked in different European countries in public administration including the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the European Parliament on a range of issues from agriculture, environment, energy and social issues.

During her work at the Liaison office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the FAO Forestry Division until 2023, Veronika built a solid understanding of European and international forestry policies. Before joining IUFRO, Veronika was working at the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management focusing on European wood policy cooperation.

Since December 2023, IUFRO has been hosting the Secretariat of the European Wood Policy Platform (woodPoP). WoodPoP is an innovative policy dialogue platform which brings together all relevant actors to advance the sustainable use of wood. It develops wood-related policy solutions, measures and recommendations to strengthen wood-based circular bioeconomy. IUFRO will bring in its scientific network helping to provide policy options and will build synergies with the WoodForGlobe project, also hosted in IUFRO.

Maja Radosavljevic

Maja joined the IUFRO HQ team on January 15, 2024. In her role as a Partnership Manager in the IUFRO-Mondi Partnership and the associated TEAMING UP 4 FORESTS platform, she will be responsible for the management and implementation of partnership activities.
https://teamingup4forests.com/

Maja is an economist, graduated in accounting & auditing from the Faculty of Business, University Singidunum, Belgrade, in 2010. She earned an MSc degree in forest policy and economics from the Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, in 2012, through an international master's program supported by the European Forestry Institute.

Since 2020, she has been a CARIPARO scholarship holder at the University of Padua, TESAF Department, conducting Ph.D. research on integrating EU timber regulation requirements into forest policy frameworks in selected Western Balkan countries. Maja achieved a certified internal auditor certificate in 2023.

Maja has ten years of experience in the state forestry sector in Serbia where she contributed to strategic and business plans, reporting documents, forest certification, and promoted cooperation in business and science on an international level.

For the last five years, Maja has been actively involved in numerous cooperation initiatives in the Western Balkan region, making contributions to projects dedicated to combating illegal logging, addressing climate change, promoting environmental protection, and enhancing the development of forest policy documents with a focus on stakeholder involvement.

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) invites nominations for the 7th Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award until 10 February 2024!

The Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award is an honor granted to individuals who have made extraordinary efforts to improve the world's forests and the lives of people who depend on them.

The jury will select a winner based on outstanding contributions to conserve, restore and sustainably manage forests. This year, particular emphasis will be placed on achievements in:

• reducing forest loss
• increasing forest area
• increasing the use of sustainably grown wood and non-wood products
• building resilient forest communities, and
• improving livelihoods and youth engagement

Nominations related to grassroots and youth-led initiatives are especially encouraged.

Along with international recognition, the winner will receive a cash prize of USD 20,000 and will be invited to attend an award ceremony at the 27th Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO) which will take place 22-26 July 2024 in Rome.

The CPF launched the first Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award in 2012 to honor and commemorate the impact of the late Kenyan environmentalist, who championed forest issues across the globe.

Previous Wangari Maathai Forest Champion Award winners are Nepalese community forestry movement leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha (2012), Mexican environmental campaigner Martha Isabel 'Pati' Ruiz Corzo (2014), Ugandan forestry activist Gertrude Kabusimbi Kenyangi (2015), Brazilian forestry activist Maria Margarida Ribeiro da Silva (2017), Burundian forestry activist Léonidas Nzigiyimpa (2019), and Cameroonian activist and social forester Cécile Ndjebet (2022).

The 2022 winner Cécile Ndjebet will be a keynote speaker at the 26th IUFRO World Congress in Stockholm this June!

More information about the Wangari Maathai Forest Champions Award and how to make a nomination is available in English, French and Spanish at:  https://www.fao.org/collaborative-partnership-on-forests/news/nominations-open-for-wangari-maathai-forest-champions-award/en

Call for Expressions of Interest in ISC Global Science-Policy Work by 29 February

As a member organization of the International Science Council, IUFRO has been invited to contribute to critical global science-policy work in the multilateral space and help identify experts. The ISC will constitute a roster of experts over the coming weeks on issues that are prominent on the UN agenda to be able to provide timely inputs that draw on a wide range of expertise across regions. Twenty priority topics have been identified.

Find out more at:  https://council.science/current/news/expressions-of-interest-global-science-policy-work/

The Forestry and Agriculture Biotechnology Institute (FABI) at the University of Pretoria (UP), South Africa, a member organization of IUFRO, recently turned 25! The anniversary was celebrated at the University's Future Africa Institute and attended by research collaborators, industry partners, government representatives and the UP community.

Founding director of FABI Professor Mike Wingfield, former IUFRO President, stated that many of the challenges that the world is faced with can be solved through the kind of collaborative work carried out by institutions like FABI. "Issues such as climate change, food security and artificial intelligence are taking the world by storm and all of these will be solved through interdisciplinary research – that is why FABI is and will continue to be successful," he said.

Source:  https://www.up.ac.za/news/post_3200119-ups-fabi-marks-25-years-of-research-excellence
About FABI:  https://www.fabinet.up.ac.za/

The 2023 Marcus Wallenberg Prize was awarded to Drs Darius M. Adams, Joseph Buongiorno and Richard Haynes for their development of the original and groundbreaking forest economic models TAMM and PAPYRUS and their extension to the global forest products model GFPM.
https://www.mwp.org/groundbreaking-economic-models-integrated-analysis-forest-sector/

Darius M. Adams, Professor Emeritus at Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA. He earned his Ph.D. in Wildland Resource Science at the University of California, Berkeley in 1972.

Joseph Buongiorno, Professor Emeritus of Forest Economics at University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. Buongiorno earned his Ph.D. in Wildland Resource Science in 1972 at the University of California, Berkeley.

Richard W. Haynes, the US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR, USA. He received his Ph.D. in Forest Management in 1975, at the North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

The TAMM and PAPYRUS economic models demonstrate a groundbreaking way to combine biological, statistical, mathematical, and technological knowledge with neoclassical economic theory into empirical models that are highly useful for forestry, forest industries and policy makers.

These models can be applied to analyze the impact of multiple factors such as trade regulations, climate mitigation measures, carbon pricing, forest protection measures, subsidies applied to energy supply, new biorefinery products and climate change. Especially now in rapidly changing times, these models and their successors become increasingly valid and needed.

Learn more about the Marcus Wallenberg Prize at:  https://www.mwp.org/

The future supply of wood is highly uncertain and likely to be characterized by disruptions, changes, and unpredictable developments. Under the framework of TEAMING UP 4 FORESTS, a curated expert group has prepared an overview of scientific findings and a list of response options to current and future challenges.

Watch out for the announcement of the launch webinar of this IUFRO World Series publication on 18 March 2024! 

TEAMING UP 4 FORESTS is a Science - Business Platform that aims to better understand climate change impacts on forests and identify response measures in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. The platform was initiated by IUFRO and Mondi Group in 2021 and wants to invite more industry partners in the future. https://teamingup4forests.com/

"The National Report on Sustainable Forests assesses the conditions and trends that reflect how we - as a society - define forest sustainability", says Kathleen McGinley, research social scientist and 2020 Report lead author, International Institute of Tropical Forestry.

What does the 2020 Report tell us?

• Forest land area in the U.S. has increased slightly over the past century, but recent forest area decreases in the Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain Regions have offset gains in other regions. 
• Natural disturbances like fire and insects help keep forests healthy. However, increasing disturbance extent, severity, and interactions threaten forest sustainability - most notably in the West. 
• Forests serve as the largest national carbon sink. However, forests in several Western states now emit more carbon than they take in due to natural and human-caused disturbances. 
• The U.S. forest products industry has rebounded over the past decade, particularly in portions of the South. However, production levels remain below their peak and employment levels have continued their long-term decline. 
• Nationally, forests grow significantly more wood than they lose to harvest or tree death. 

Find the report at:  https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/66829

The podcast series from the Centre for Science Futures of the International Science Council unravels the visionary minds of science fiction authors to gain insights into how science might shape our future. The Podcast is hosted by Paul Shrivastava, Professor of Management and Organizations at Pennsylvania State University, who specializes in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals. Click to listen and find out more:  https://council.science/podcast/science-fiction/