REINFFORCE: a unique transnational network of arboreta

Published on10.12.2019

REINFFORCE is a world-unique infrastructure network of experimental sites - covering a large diversity of climate and soil conditions between latitudes 58° in North Scotland to 37° in South Portugal - with the objective of monitoring and adapting forests to climate change.

It consists of 38 arboretums of alternative forest regeneration material (including 33 species and 176 provenances from Europe and the entire world) and 41 demonstration sites to test the efficiency of adaptive silviculture compared with standard management.

REINFFORCE arboretum sign on the Isle of Mull, Scotland

The REINFFORCE network aims to provide forest managers with science-based evidence to help adapt their forests to climate change. It comprises 12 forest organisations and research institutes spanning four countries (Portugal, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom).

While the network was established as an INTERREG IV Atlantic project (2009-2013), the network has continued developing thanks to the coordination by EFIPLANT and the partners’ commitment for at least 15 years after the project end to its maintenance and monitoring.

Lourizan arboretum in Galicia, Spain

Ten years after its start, REINFFORCE is still active in its research and communication, with first scientific results already published in journals and presented at international scientific events.

The future of the REINFFORCE network is promising; synergies are being explored with multiple research projects (HOMED, ESPERENSE, B4EST) and with the EVOLTREE network to exploit the great potential of this infrastructure for the long-term research and adaptation of Atlantic forests.