The project is divided into three working groups – forestry, wood properties, and its applications, and bioeconomics and policy. “The first working group focuses on the impact of the changing environment on forest trees and forest structure and also aims to analyze various adaptation strategies. The second studies the use of wood from less frequently used wood species and the possibility of modifying properties. The third working group analyzes the economic aspects of the use of wood and also focuses on policies that can support various adaptation strategies,” said Vladimír Gryc from the Department of Wood Science and Technology.

The impacts of climate change on forests will lead in the long term to a change in the wood composition and thus to an increase in the availability of previously not fully economically used tree species. This wood mass needs to be adequately processed so that it can be used in the development of new products. Transformation and stabilization of forests, especially in connection with changing environmental factors affecting their health and also the quantity and quality of wood is a very current topic. By synthesizing existing knowledge, the project can help to find an adequate response to the rapid and unprecedented changes currently facing Central European forests and the timber industry. The university Training Forest Enterprise Masaryk’s Forest in Křtiny will play an important role in the application of the conclusions from the individual research groups, on the territory of which the researchers will verify the results of the analyzes.

Towards the professional public, the team will further focus on issues of habitat diversification, general climatic parameters affecting water availability limits, and measures and strategies for adapting forestry to climate change. In addition, ASFORCLIC will cover the impacts of climate change on wood production and its properties in order to define the effect on future wood products. Improving the structure of European forests, reflecting market requirements for sufficient wood production and quality, and models for different trees to be grown in relation to their economic use and health status is another important research topic included in the project.

Institutions involved in activities funded by the European Union under the H2020 call are leaders in their fields and have unique instrumentation and other equipment. “ASFORCLIC succeeded in competing with 439 project proposals submitted in the Twinning call of the Horizon 2020 framework program. Support of 69 million euros will be shared by a total of 77 projects, including a project implemented at Mendel University in Brno,” concludes Vladimír Gryc.