The SOSFOR project, coordinated by the University of Milan, aims to translate the concepts of Planetary Boundaries and Safe Operating Spaces into practical tools for forest management in Europe.Through collaboration...
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The SOSFOR project aims to develop an integrated operational framework to assess and enhance the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of European forests, with a specific focus on marginal and fragile landscapes. Through a transdisciplinary and transnational approach, the project combines dynamic forest modelling, climate and socio-economic scenarios, multicriteria analysis, and stakeholder engagement to identify āsustainable operating spacesā for forest management.
Building on indicators structured within the DPSIR (DriverāPressureāStateāImpactāResponse) framework, SOSFOR analyzes the interactions between forest management, ecosystem service provision, resilience to disturbances, and socio-economic drivers at the landscape scale. Spatially explicit simulations using the iLand model are employed to estimate the future impacts of forest management and climate change on key forest ecosystem services (timber production, biodiversity conservation, hazard protection, recreation, and climate regulation).
Project outcomes will support the definition of sustainability thresholds and inform policy recommendations aligned with the EU Green Deal, the EU Forest Strategy for 2030, and the UN Agenda 2030. Coordinated by the University of Milan, SOSFOR includes five case study areas in Italy, Romania, Spain, Germany, and Norway.
Check out our partners and study areas across five European forest landscapes!
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University of Milan – Valle Camonica, Brescia, Italy
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University of Freiburg – MĆ¼nstertal, Baden-WĆ¼rttemberg, Germany
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University of Zaragoza – Mosqueruela, Aragon, Spain
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Norwegian University of Life Science – Ringerike, Buskerud, Norway
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Transilvania University of BraČov – ZÄrneČti-BĆ¢rsa Fierului Valley, Romania
ā¢ Open-access, place-based matrix of DPSIR indicators
ā¢ Thresholds and ranges of sustainable operating spaces
ā¢ Open-access, spatially-explicit map of forest and FES development (up to 2050)
ā¢ Policy response options for 3-D sustainability
This research was funded by the SOSFOR project (project coordinator: Matteo Vizzarri). SOSFOR project is financed by the ForestValue2 Joint Call 2023 under the ERA-NET Cofund Action supported by the European Unionās Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement NĀ° 101094340. The project SOSFOR (Sustainable Operating Spaces for Forests and Forest Management in Europe) is supported at national level by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests (MASAF), Romaniaās Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI), the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI), the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), and the Research Council of Norway (RCN). The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by these institutions.
