ForEcoMon2026 - The 13th Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Conference
Integrating Ground- and Remote Sensing-based Forest Monitoring for Resilient forests: Opportunities and Challenges
European forests are increasingly exposed to climate change-driven stressors which, in combination with air pollution, severely impact ecosystem functioning and tree health, and increase mortality risks. This is particularly the case for forests in the Mediterranean region. These pressures threaten not only timber production but also essential ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, water quality, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, and recreation.
Long-term forest monitoring is indispensable for understanding the effects of global change on forest ecosystems, including their resilience to climate extremes and pollution. Over four decades, the interactive effects of air pollution, climate, site, and stand factors on forests have been monitored through ground-based investigation by the ICP Forests under the UNECE Air Convention. This produced pan-European, harmonized, standardized and centralized long-term data series, enabling scientists, stakeholders, and policy makers to assess the status, trends, and functioning of European forests in a changing environment.