Non-Native Tree Species for European Forests: Experiences, Risks and Opportunities
Abstract
The management of tree species non-native to European geographical regions has a long tradition within forest management practice. Their introduction to Europe, initially focused on fast growing tree species, dates back to the 17th and 18th century when the demands for natural resources to sustain the on-going industrialisation of Europe were enormous. At present, an estimated 5.2 % (8.1 Mio ha) of the total European forest area is covered by non-native tree species. Today issues of biomass production and C sequestration as well as the question of whether these forest tree species could increase the adaptive capacity of forests to long-term climate change patterns have fuelled a growing interest in non-native tree species in Europe. The main objective of this COST Action is to establish a multidisciplinary platform of researchers for a state-of-the-art knowledge transfer on non-native tree species in European forest ecosystems and for in-depth analysis of the associated risk and challenges in growing these species in Europe. This platform and its four working groups (Monitoring, Pathways, Silviculture, and Risks) will provide information related to differences in theoretical positions, alternative multifunctional silviculture management strategies, the current regional coverage of different non-native tree species across Europe, nature conservation and biodiversity issues (incl. invasive behaviour) related to the non-native trees in European regions.
keywords forest management nature protection non-native tree species climate change forest ecology and biodiversity
Publikationen
Project staff
Elisabeth Pötzelsberger
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Elisabeth Pötzelsberger
Project Leader
18.05.2016 - 20.11.2018
Hubert Hasenauer
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. DDr.h.c. Hubert Hasenauer
hubert.hasenauer@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91301, 91311
Project Staff
21.11.2014 - 20.11.2018
BOKU partners
External partners
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Prof. Paraskevi Alizoti
partner
University of Agriculture in Krakow
Dr. Anna Gazda
partner
Bavarian office for forest seeding and planting
Dr. Monika Konnert
partner
The Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Seville of Spanish Research Council
none
partner
Wageningen University
Prof. Frits Mohren
partner
University of Freiburg
Prof. Heinrich Spiecker
sub-coordinator