What is PLANFORLAB?
PLANFORLAB is an Operational Group aimed at improving the health and productivity of conifer forests through the application of innovations in genetic material (Forest Reproductive Material, FRM) and adaptive silviculture, using the “forest laboratory” concept. The project’s innovations will enable conifer forests to better withstand pests, diseases, and climate change, delivering significant benefits for timber producers by improving wood quality and ensuring the economic sustainability of plantations. The project will focus on the development and use of improved plants of the species Pinus pinaster, Pinus radiata, and Pinus sylvestris, reproducing or amplifying innovative forest reproductive material to obtain plants with high genetic quality, which will be established in trial plots within the forest laboratories.
A forest laboratory, as defined by PLANFORLAB, is a forest area designated for experimentation, learning, and research, located in areas with current or imminent sanitary risk. This space will be permanently equipped for data collection and the implementation of innovative silvicultural models, using improved and tested reproductive material. This will enable the monitoring and evaluation of its response to climate change and to the diseases affecting pine forests. These forests will also serve as demonstration sites.
The PLANFORLAB forest laboratory network will provide technology centres, foresters, forest managers, and other decision-makers with information on the effectiveness of genetic materials and adaptive silvicultural practices in a relevant environment. In addition, PLANFORLAB will create a digital network to exchange innovative experiences and transfer results on genetic improvement of forest plants and strategies to combat pathologies affecting conifer forests. The project’s themes are aligned with the objectives of the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI), which include supporting a viable forest income, increasing the competitiveness of forest holdings through research and technology, contributing to climate change adaptation, and promoting the efficient management of natural resources.
PLANFORLAB is an Operational Group aimed at improving the health and productivity of conifer forests through the application of innovations in genetic material (Forest Reproductive Material, FRM) and adaptive silviculture, using the “forest laboratory” concept. The project’s innovations will enable conifer forests to better withstand pests, diseases, and climate change, delivering significant benefits for timber producers by improving wood quality and ensuring the economic sustainability of plantations. The project will focus on the development and use of improved plants of the species Pinus pinaster, Pinus radiata, and Pinus sylvestris, reproducing or amplifying innovative forest reproductive material to obtain plants with high genetic quality, which will be established in trial plots within the forest laboratories.
A forest laboratory, as defined by PLANFORLAB, is a forest area designated for experimentation, learning, and research, located in areas with current or imminent sanitary risk. This space will be permanently equipped for data collection and the implementation of innovative silvicultural models, using improved and tested reproductive material. This will enable the monitoring and evaluation of its response to climate change and to the diseases affecting pine forests. These forests will also serve as demonstration sites.
The PLANFORLAB forest laboratory network will provide technology centres, foresters, forest managers, and other decision-makers with information on the effectiveness of genetic materials and adaptive silvicultural practices in a relevant environment. In addition, PLANFORLAB will create a digital network to exchange innovative experiences and transfer results on genetic improvement of forest plants and strategies to combat pathologies affecting conifer forests. The project’s themes are aligned with the objectives of the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI), which include supporting a viable forest income, increasing the competitiveness of forest holdings through research and technology, contributing to climate change adaptation, and promoting the efficient management of natural resources.
