Linking and Harmonizing Forest Spatial Pattern Analyses at European, National and Regional Scales for a Better Characterization of Forest Vulnerability and Resilience

The project ¿Linking and harmonizing the forests spatial pattern analyses at European, national and regional scales for a better characterization of the forests vulnerability and resilience¿ (JRC contract 382391 F1SC) covers one of the seven topics to be studied in the frame of the Regulation (EC) 2152/2003 on the monitoring of forest and environmental interactions, the so-called "Forest Focus" Regulation. It first demonstrates the application of the mathematical morphology based forest spatial pattern analysis tool developed at the Joint Research Centre (GUIDOS); it then develops one index related to potential forest vulnerability, resistance and resilience (FVRR index) on the basis of multi-criteria fuzzy modelling technics. Its final aim is to address linkages between forest spatial pattern and forest ecological functionality with emphasis on forest vulnerability, resistance, resilience. This study was conducted by a European consortium coordinated by the University of Molise (Italy) and included partners from the University of Hamburg (Germany), the European Forest Institute (Finland) and the Forest Research (United Kingdom). The overall supervision of the project and the processing of forest spatial pattern were done by the Joint Research Centre.JRC.DDG.H.7-Land management and natural hazard