MigFoRest: Assisted Migration to increase Forest Resilience in North-West Europe
The EU-Interreg funded project MigForest is an integrated project with practical cooperation between private and public owners and managers in close links with forestry research institutes to increase forest resilience.
Climate change, through an increase in the duration, frequency, and intensity of extreme events, is a major threat to forest ecosystems. In this context, the Royal Forestry Society of Belgium, in collaboration with five other international partners (National Forestry Office - ONF, Néosylva, Forestry Experimental and Research Institute in Baden-Württemberg - FVA, Research Institute for Nature and Forests - INBO and Walloon Center for Agronomic Research - CRA-W), has launched the Interreg North-West Europe MigFoRest project.
The aim is to deploy assisted migration (AM) of species and provenances originating from southern Europe in Belgium, France, and Germany using a complex functional network approach.
The project started technically in January 2024 for a duration of 4 years. The work priorities are focused on 4 genera: Quercus (European withe oaks), Abies (Mediterranean species), Sorbus, and Tilia. After assessing the risks (invasiveness, health risks), the biological potential, and the species' genetic diversity, the trees will be planted in various pilot territories. These areas will serve as concrete examples of the implementation of assisted migration in North-West Europe. A major communication, awareness-raising, and training programme will target forest owners, foresters, nurserymen, policy makers and the general public. Seed orchards will be set up to ensure a long-term supply of seeds from promising species and provenances.
The results of the project will be:
- the development of a common strategy for implementing AM in NWE (except Ireland, due to a different climate from the other NWE areas);
- the identification of the tree species concerned, including analysis of their biological potential and invasiveness;
- the implementation of a joint genetic analysis of source and recipient tree populations;
- the deployment of the AM in different NWE regions, including the planting of at least 100,000 trees;
- the creation of 3 seed orchards to supply forest managers in the future;
- the development of tailor-made awareness-raising and training material for target audiences: public authorities, forest owners, nursery workers, and the general public.
For more information, you can follow the project via the link: https://migforest.nweurope.eu/
Do not hesitate to contact the partners: comm-migforest@srfb-kbbm.be
