September

"(...) selective tree breeding to enhance genetic diversity in forests and protect endangered genetic resources increases disease resistance, drought tolerance, and the ability to cope with more frequent and more destructive storms and fires; management practices that focus on mixtures instead of monocultures make forests more resilient, enhance energy and resource efficiency, protect forestry related jobs, increase competitiveness and expand business opportunities within the bio-based industries;" in European Union LIFE Programm Publications (2019). Ready, steady, green! LIFE helps farming and forestry adapt to climate change. Image by Monica Pinheiro, license CC BY-NC-SA (CC).

Forests and Climate

In the begining of 19th century, "Humboldt was the first to explain the fundamental functions of the forest for the atmosphere and the climate: the trees' ability to store water and to enrich the atmosphere with moisture, their protection of the soil, and their cooling effect. (...) The effects of the human species' intervention were already 'incalculable', Humboldt insisted, and could became catastrophic if they continued to disturb the world so 'brutally'. " in Andrea Wulf, 2016, The Invention of Nature. Image by Monica Pinheiro, license CC BY-NC-SA (CC)

August

"Mycorrhizal networks (also known as common mycorrhizal networks or CMN) are underground hyphal networks created by mycorrhizal fungi that connect individual plants together and transfer water, carbon, nitrogen, and other nutrients and minerals. The formation of these networks is context dependent, and can be influenced by factors such as soil fertility, resource availability, host or myco-symbiont genotype, disturbance and seasonal variation."  Image by Monica Pinheiro, license CC BY-NC-SA (CC)

Forest

‘forest’ means an area of land defined by the minimum values for area size, tree crown cover or an equivalent stocking level, and potential tree height at maturity at the place of growth of the trees as specified for each Member State in Annex II. It includes areas with trees, including groups of growing, young, natural trees, or plantations that have yet to reach the minimum values for tree crown cover or an equivalent stocking level or minimum tree height as specified in Annex II, including any area that normally forms part of the forest area but on which there are temporarily no trees as a result of human intervention, such as harvesting, or as a result of natural causes, but which area can be expected to revert to forest;" 

in Regulation (EU) 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry in the 2030 climate and energy framework, and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 and Decision No 529/2013/EU (Text with EEA relevance). Image by Monica Pinheiro, license CC BY-NC-SA (CC)

diversity

Edible forest: fire prevention, energy production (biomass), carbon storage, growth of local resources (less energy/fuel consumption for transportation of outside resources, conditions to attract workers/residents), earth conservation (reflorestation, soil conservation, increased species, better air quality), carbon negative, odorific, beautiful... Image by Monica Pinheiro, license CC BY-NC-SA (CC)

European atlas of forest Tree species

European Atlas of Forest Tree Species "is both a scientific publication, in which researchers and forest specialists can find rigorous and up-to-date information on the many tree species of our forests, and a publication suited for education and the dissemination of information about the richness of our forests to our generation and future generations. (...) Each chapter of the Atlas presents, in addition to the description of each tree species, high quality graphics and photographs showing the climatic preferences and singularities of the different species of trees." San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., Houston Durrant, T., Mauri, A. (Eds.), 2016. European Atlas of Forest Tree Species. Publication Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. Image by Alfonso San Miguel, 2006. Image: Holm oak (Quercus ilex) in spring, Despeñaperros Natural Park (Andalusia, Spain). 

 Updated link for publication 2021 12 29.