Enhancing the resilience capacity of sensitive mountain forest ecosystems under environmental change (SENSFOR)

Abstract

The treeline ecotone and all treeline ecosystems (i.e. mountain forests) are important indicators of environmental change. They are heavily affected by environmental drivers, in particular by changes in climate and in land use (the latter change often being land abandonment, resulting in natural reforestation). The Europe COST Action ES1203 (Enhancing the resilience capacity of SENSitive mountain FORest ecosystems under environmental change; SENSFOR) initiative focused on treeline ecosystems in relation to such changes. SENSFOR evaluated drivers and the extent of contemporary and future environmental changes in European mountain forests, and developed methods for estimating forest resilience and defining the consequences for society. The outcome of the SENSFOR initiative provides a scientific basis on which management strategies can be developed and adjusted in cooperation with regional and local stakeholders. In addition, SENSFOR provides recommendations for policy makers at European and national levels. Through application of the DPSIR (Driver, Pressure, State, Impact, Response) framework, the findings of the SENSFOR network (consisting of 24 countries) contribute to strategy development for ecosystem service preservation and biodiversity conservation in sensitive European treeline areas.