We assess the contribution of forests to climate mitigation by considering the entire forest–wood system. We jointly analyse carbon uptake and storage, management effects, harvested wood products, material and energy...
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Research
ForestLab research integrates ecology, management, monitoring and modelling to understand how forests and trees respond to climate change, disturbance and landscape transformation, and to develop strategies for management, conservation and restoration.
Research lines
Forest dynamics and climate change
Growth, regeneration, mortality and forest transformation under climate change.
Sustainable forest management and planning
Management strategies for resilient, productive and multifunctional forests.
Forest resilience, extreme events and disturbances
Wildfire, drought, wind, insects and forest resistance and recovery.
Protection forests and hydrogeological hazards
Forest protection against avalanches, rockfall, erosion and slope instability.
Biodiversity, conservation and old-growth forests
Forest structure, biodiversity, naturalness, deadwood and old-growth features.
Forest restoration, rewilding and afforestation
Active restoration, natural regeneration, rewilding and design of new forests.
Forest carbon, climate mitigation and bioeconomy
Forest carbon, management, harvested wood products, substitution and climate benefits.
Urban forests and nature-based solutions
Urban trees and forests for climate adaptation, health, biodiversity and environmental quality.
Forest and urban soils
Soil functioning, carbon, biodiversity and responses to management, disturbance and restoration.
Monitoring, remote sensing and forest modelling
Sensors, LiDAR, drones, satellites and models to observe and simulate forests.
We study soil as an active component of forest and urban ecosystem functioning. We analyse how vegetation, management, disturbance and restoration affect physical and chemical properties, soil carbon, soil biodiversity...
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We study how forests change over time and how growth, regeneration, mortality and species composition respond to climate variability and climate change. We analyse both long-term trends and the effects...
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We study how forest management and planning can maintain resilient, multifunctional forests under rapidly changing environmental and social conditions. We analyse trade-offs among timber production, biodiversity, carbon, protection, climate adaptation...
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Fire, drought, wind, insects and other disturbances are components of forest dynamics, but their frequency, intensity and interactions are changing. We study the capacity of forests to resist, recover or...
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We study how to promote the recovery of degraded forest ecosystems and how to design new forests capable of persisting under future climatic conditions. We compare active restoration, natural regeneration,...
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We study trees, urban forests and green infrastructure as functional components of urban ecosystems. We assess their contribution to climate adaptation, reduction of heat exposure, biodiversity, human health and environmental...
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We develop and integrate tools to observe forests from individual trees to landscapes and to transform observations into indicators, maps and scenarios. The goal is not simply to collect more...
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We study the role of forests in reducing natural hazards in mountain environments. Their protective function depends on the position of the forest relative to the hazard process and exposed...
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We study relationships among forest structure, ecological continuity, management and biodiversity. Particular attention is given to old-growth forests and to features associated with mature and senescent stages, including large trees,...
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