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FutMon - Further Development and Implementation of an EU-level Forest Monitoring System

Collaborative Project


Project code: LIFE07 ENV/D/000218
Contract period: 01.01.2009 - 30.06.2011
Budget: 16139278 Euro
Coordinating institution: Institute for Forest Ecosystems

The FutMon project built on and took forward the work of the ICP Forests and NFIs in monitoring forests on the ecosystem scale as well as at large scale. The main European added value of the project was the continuation of data collection, the establishment of a large-scale grid for forest assessment, and increased harmonisation and standardisation amongst different forest-monitoring bodies. However, many challenges remain for the effective harmonisation of forest monitoring work at large and smaller scales across the EU. The project conducted a revision of the large-scale - Level One Network - monitoring system for forests. It selected and defined 6 941 large-scale plots as part of a FutMon EU geographical database that was a major output of the project. Representative monitoring was carried out on more than 4 100 of these plots each year in 13 EU countries. Monitoring covered: forest area; area of other wooded land; growing stock including small trees; above- and below- ground biomass; and dead wood. More intensive monitoring was conducted on around 250 Level Two plots, representing the main forest types in Europe. Common assessments were conducted on each of these sites covering: tree condition; ground vegetation; deposition; ambient air quality; soil; and meteorology. On a small sub-sample of these plots, demonstration surveys were conducted on additional forest issues including: tree vitality and adaptation; nutrient cycling and critical loads; and water. The project attempted to merge the large-scale grid with the smaller-scale - Level Two - NFI grids to allow synergies between monitoring and assessment at the two levels. However, the ongoing challenge of this work was highlighted by the fact that only 58% of the large-scale monitoring plots were coincident with NFI plots. FutMon was able to develop a database management system with online data submission, automated data validation, and data validation by experts. It also developed improved data quality assurance procedures for laboratories. Finally, it drafted a new manual on methods and criteria for harmonised sampling, assessment, monitoring and analysis of the effects of air pollution on forests.

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Collaborative Projects

Project Management, Validation and Storage of data, Publication of Results

Leading institution: Institute for Forest Ecosystems

Creation of large scale representative monitoring grid (based on Level I and NFIs)

Leading institution: Institute for Forest Ecosystems

Large scale representative monitoring, Test of methods for adapting data from NFIs (based on Level I and NFIs)

Leading institution: Institute for Forest Ecosystems

Selection of plots and attributes to be monitored in the future

Leading institution: Institute of International Forestry and Forest Economics

Improvement of methods for collecting data on tree vitality and adaptation

Leading institution: Department of Environmental Control

Refinement and development of monitoring methods in the field of nutrient cycling and critical loads

Leading institution: Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla)

Improvement of methods for collecting data on water budgets

Leading institution: LWF - Department Soil and Climate

Coordination of quality assurance and quality control of monitoring data, Quality assurance in laboratories

Leading institution: Department of Environmental Control

Scientific analysis of monitoring data

Leading institution: Institute of International Forestry and Forest Economics

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