The future of our forests could be described as uncertain, particularly in relation to storms, forest fires and bark beetles, the prevalence of which is increasing due to climate change.

In the I-Maestro project, researchers assessed how we could adapt forests and their management to mitigate the impacts of climate change and various disturbances, while maintaining the ability to utilise timber and benefit from other forest ecosystem services.

To understand the dynamics of what is happening as best as possible, an experiment lasting perhaps a hundred years that would need to be repeated in various locations would be required. Since this is impossible and we do not have enough time due to the urgent problems of today, forest researchers use models to forecast the future.

In the documentary film “Forecasting the future of our forests”, which was produced as part of I-Maestro, you will learn what can be modelled and how, and how models can be used to predict forest functioning under various disturbance conditions. You have the opportunity to get acquainted with the modelling of different climate and forest management scenarios, and you will also learn how modelling actually works and why it should be of interest to more than just researchers.
Watch the film “Forecasting the future of our forests”