Photo by:
Mali Maeder
What is?
Going beyond a definition, explore our concise insights into key forest-related topicsWhat is the Genetic Conservation Unit (GCU) Network?
Europe’s forest genetic diversity is safeguarded by the Pan-European GCU network through designated Genetic Conservation Units.
- Resilient forests
What are indicators for sustainable forest management?
Indicators for sustainable forest management (SFM) are measurable characteristics which support decision-making on forests and their management.
- Resilient forests
What are innovative wood products?
Innovative wood products use advanced processing and bioengineering to create more sustainable, functional, high-value materials from wood.
- Co-created solutions
What are harvested wood products?
Harvested wood products (HWPs) consist of biobased materials, primarily wood sourced from forests.
- Sustainable economy
What is forest bioeconomy?
Forest bioeconomy promotes resilient, circular and climate-smart forestry within ecological boundaries and for wellbeing.
- Sustainable economy
What are ecosystem services?
Ecosystem services refer to the benefits humans derive over time from natural or near-natural systems and processes.
- Forests and people
What are payments for ecosystem services (PES)?
PES constitute a potentially integrated financing and incentive mechanism to improve the environmental quality of natural resource management.
- Sustainable economy
What is a marteloscope?
Marteloscopes are used to perform (virtual) tree selection exercises and help to compare alternative forest management strategies.
- Co-created solutions
What is a wildfire?
At its most basic, a wildfire is a chemical reaction of combustion, which requires a source of heat, oxygen, and fuel to get started.
- Resilient forests
What is regenerative agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture uses holistic practices to improve soil health, restore degraded land, and enhance ecological resilience.
- Co-created solutions
What is integrated fire management?
Integrated fire management minimises fire risks and impacts while promoting or restoring the beneficial uses of fire.
- Resilient forests
What is sustainable finance?
Sustainable finance integrates environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into investment decisions to support long-term sustainability.
- Sustainable economy
What are non-wood forest products?
Non-wood forest products include berries, mushrooms, medicinal and decorative plants, nuts, resins, game, and wild honey.
- Forests and people
What is forest assisted migration?
Forest migration refers to the gradual shift of tree species and their biodiversity in response to changing climate conditions.
- Resilient forests
What is a habitat tree?
Habitat trees are either living or dead standing trees that bear one or more tree-related microhabitats.
- Resilient forests
What is forest biodiversity?
Forest biodiversity includes not only species diversity, but also the variety of functions they perform, from genes to landscapes.
- Resilient forests
What is the Index of Biodiversity Potential?
The Index of Biodiversity Potential (IBP) is an (indirect) biodiversity evaluation tool co-designed by foresters and researchers.
- Co-created solutions
What is forest resilience?
Forest resilience is the ability of forests and society to recover and adapt to environmental, climatic and societal changes.
- Resilient forests
What is a biocity?
A biocity is a new term created to describe a city that is “hosted by nature”.
- Cities
What is carbon farming in forests?
Explore carbon farming activities, practices and co-benefits
- Resilient forests
What is closer-to-nature forestry?
Closer-to-nature forestry promotes the diversity of forest components, structures and processes characteristic of natural forests and cultural…
- Resilient forests
What is agroforestry?
Agroforestry combines the cultivation of trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock on the same land management unit.
- Sustainable economy
What is urban forestry?
Urban forestry involves the management and establishment of trees and forests across a city
- Cities
Contributors: Tommaso Chiti, Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat, Nicola Bozzolan, Siebe Briers, Rik De Vreese, Trishna Dutta, Anna-Maria Farsakoglou, Laurent Larrieu, Stefanie Linser, Anushree Luukela-Tandon, Inazio Martinez de Arano, Mesele Negash Tesemma, Cleo Orfanidou, Helga Pülzl, Carmen Rodríguez Fernández-Blanco, Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza, Elisabeth Schatzdorfer, Andreas Schuck, Diana Tuomasjukka, Ian Whitehead, Jerylee Wilkes-Allemann, Sven Wunder
Related content
Forest questions
Frequently asked questions about forests and why they matter
Voices of the Mediterranean Forests: Media Workshop on Forest Genetic Resources
A Mediterranean workshop uniting journalists and scientists to communicate forest genetic resources through storytelling.
30 November 2026 – 2 December 2026
- Forests and people
Regional Bioeconomy in Action
Explore how regions across Europe are advancing the bioeconomy transition, from forestry and agricultural regions to coastal communities.
19 October 2026, 13:30–16:00, GMT, UTC+0
- Co-created solutions