Increasing Sustainability of European Forests: Modelling for Security Against Invasive Pests and Pathogens under Climate Change (ISEFOR)

Description:

Forests are under unprecedented threat from two principal inter-related and interacting factors:

1. Rapid climate change places ecosystems under stress, as the plant species comprising the ecosystems have little time to adapt to changes occurring over a few decades. This seriously impact host-parasite interactions at all levels.
2. Increased global trade, mobility and tourism have led to an escalation in the numbers of alien pests and pathogens intercepted at ports of entry. Climate change will increase the probability of permanent establishment of many damaging alien pathogens and pests in Europe.

The aim of ISEFOR was to generate robust evidence to inform policy development for forest management against risks from alien invasive pests and pathogens in relation to climate change, by increasing knowledge on alien species that may enter Europe, and to generate improved methods for phytosanitary authorities to detect and diagnose pests and pathogens in plant consignments entering Europe.

Databases on alien pests and pathogens invasive in Europe were updated and used to determine hosts most vulnerable to attack, prepare an ISEFOR database and to list forest pests and pathogens at risk of introduction to Europe based on available information and sentinel trees in Asia. Novel techniques used to establish lists of potentially damaging organisms not yet present in Europe included surveys of arboreta in Asia containing European plants (sentinel trees) and examination of plants widely traded in Europe in sentinel nurseries.

In addition, modelling tools for risk mapping and analysis were developed and validated for: (i)  accurate prediction of the establishment and spread of alien pests and pathogens, (ii) assess and map the climatic suitability, forest susceptibility and the spread of selected potentially invasive pests and pathogens under past, present and projected climate conditions in Europe. 

Project information

Lead

UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN (UK)

Partners

CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE (IT), CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE (CN), PROGRAMME FOR THE ENDORSEMENT OF FOREST CERTIFICATION SCHEMES (CH), SAINT-PETERSBURG STATE FOREST ACADEMY (RUS), ITÄ-SUOMEN YLIOPISTO (FI), EUROPEAN STATE FOREST ASSOCIATION (BE), UNIVERSITE DE NEUCHATEL (CH), CONFEDERATION EUROPEENNE DES PROPRIETAIRES FORESTIERS ASBL (LU), INSTYTUT BADAWCZY LESNICTWA (PL), UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELLA TUSCIA (IT), INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE (FR), UNIVERSITAET FUER BODENKULTUR WIEN (AT), UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES (BE), CAB INTERNATIONAL (UK), SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITET (SE)

Source of funding

FP 7 - KBBE