Silvicultura

European forests provide vital ecosystems as well as valuable recreational and economic resources. They provide a versatile and renewable source of raw materials which play a central role in plans for a more sustainable future, and can also contribute to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Bur forests are also at risk from the effects of climate change. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns can increase the risk of forest fires or make the trees vulnerable to pests and diseases.

Two indices related to the risk of forest fire are available. The "fire weather index" defined by the Canadian Forest Service Fire Weather Index rating system which has been adopted by the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). We also provide, for comparison, a "fire danger index" defined by the Australian Mark5 rating system.