"Forest ownership changes in Europe: trends, issues and needs for action"

BACKGROUND

Forest ownership is changing across the world. In Europe, various trends make up these ownership changes, including: institutional changes in Eastern European countries with restitution and privatization of forest land; increasing activities of investment funds in forestry; new community forestry for income or conservation purposes; afforestation of agricultural land; and change in lifestyle, motivations and attitudes of owners towards their forests. Indicators associated with these changes include: less farming, ageing population, depopulation of rural areas, and new objectives and goals of forest owners.

At the same time, forest management objectives are becoming increasingly complex and often include timber production, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and provision of other ecosystem services. As a result of changing ownership and management objectives, forest management practices are also changing. The interactions between ownership type, actual or appropriate forest management approaches, and policy, are fundamental in understanding and shaping forestry, and have been the focus of the COST Action FP1201 FACESMAP.

AIM

FINAL CONFERENCE of the COST Action FP1201 FACESMAP “Forest ownership changes in Europe: trends, issues and needs for action” has aims to create a space for exchange of knowledge among researchers working on forest ownership topics in Europe within and outside the COST Action. Contributions from outside Europe are particularly welcome, if they present a comparison with European contexts.

ABSTRACT SUBMISION

Extended deadline for submission of abstracts: April 15, 2016

ORGANISERS

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna;
European Forest Institute Central-East and South-East European Regional Office (EFICEEC-EFISEE);
COST Action FP1201 - Forest Land Ownership Changes in Europe: Significance for Management and Policy (FACESMAP)

*More information on the conference topics, submission of abstract and all other details please find in the conference Call text, or at the website of the FP1201 COST Action http://facesmap.boku.ac.at/index.php/final-conference