Network of Climate Change Risks on Forests (FoRisk)

SNS Workshop, October 26-28, 2009, Tvärminne, Finland

Place

The meeting will take place at Tvärminne Research Station, University of Helsinki.

Address: J.A. Palménin tie 260, 10900 HANKO

phone +358-(0)19-28011, fax +358-(0)19-280122

Tvärminne Research Station is located in Southern Finland, 139 km southwest from Helsinki-Vantaa airport.

Organizer

SNS Network of Climate Change Risks on Forests (FoRisk), Metla

Background and aim of the seminar

The ongoing climate change will cause benefits and risks for forestry. The scientific community has become more aware and concerned that the current predictions of future forest growth in the Nordic countries may be too optimistic due to risks of abiotic and biotic damages on forest ecosystems.

According to future climatic scenarios extreme weather events, like heavy autumn and winter storms, drought and floods are expected to occur more frequently. Due to the warming climate the current pests and pathogens will be spreading towards north and new more southern insects and pathogens will appear in the Nordic countries. Further, organisms that in the previous or present climate have not been considered as pests or pathogens, may in future cause considerable damage in the forest ecosystem. These factors in combination with the global markets and free transport of goods cause serious risks on forest growth and health that are difficult to control.

Our understanding of the incidence of the anticipated damages and their magnitude is, however, limited. Therefore the effects of the damages on forest growth and productivity, and further in terms of economic losses have not been assessed.

The aim in this Nordic-Baltic network is to develop and adopt new, common approaches and tools in order to recognize the possible risks, their incidence and magnitude as well as different silvicultural / forest management options to minimize and manage the risks in future climate. Finally, these uncertainties and risks are reflected to the decision making by forest owners and by forest markets that need to ascertain continuous and profitable operation of their businesses.

This network will operate as a platform where the climate change impacts on forest growth, productivity and economy are discussed between scientists from different disciplines. Such a discussion forum is needed

• to improve understanding and recognition of the climate change risks on forestry.
• develop new methods that are necessary to understand the climate change impacts on population dynamics of pests and pathogens.
• to adopt new common tools and approaches that will help in establishment of risk assessment and control systems in all the participating countries.
• develop best practices in forest management to minimize climate change risks on forestry.
• to provide information for forest planning to develop methods and models or more accurate growth and yield predictions.
• to provide new tools for policy making: the collected data and experitise can be used to improve the legislation targeting on prevention and minimizing the risks that alien noxious species, transported due to global markets, may have in our forest ecosystems.

It is widely accepted that the means of the societies to prevent the global climate change are insufficient. Therefore, mitigation and adaptation actions are needed, and are of high priority in all the participating countries. All means to maintain and improve forest growth and health are important in these actions.

Registration

Please use this registration form (doc). Deadline of the late registration: September 11, 2009. Please send your registration form by e-mail to: leena.vallinkoski @ metla.fi

Accomodation and meals

Accomodation is organized in the student dormitory (double rooms) and a small number of single rooms in the Pavillions at Tvärminne Research Station. Meals are served in the dining room of the Research Station.

Program

Please see the program page.

Target group

Scientists, policy makers and stakeholders working on climate change effects on forests. 35- 40 persons may be accepted due to limitations in accomodation.

Traveling

Bus transfer from Helsinki - Helsinki-Vantaa airport to Tvärminne and back will be organized. The bus is scheduled to leave Helsinki-Vantaa airport at 5 p.m. on Monday October 26, 2009. The bus from Tvärminne back to Helsinki-Vantaa airport-Helsinki downtown is leaving after the meeting, at 1 p.m. on Wednesday October 28, 2009.

More information

Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla), Suonenjoki Research Unit

Dr. Elina Vapaavuori (tel. +358-(0)102114888, elina.vapaavuori @ metla.fi)

Leena Vallinkoski (tel. +358-(0)102114813, leena.vallinkoski @ metla.fi)

Telefax for registrations: +358-(0)102114801

Abstracts

The invited speakers kindly asked to provide a ½ - one A4 page abstract on their presentations.