1. Decision-Making in forest conservation and management in the face of wildfires using Remote Sensing and GIS technologies

Conveners: Laura Alonso; Ana Novo; Fabian Fassnacht; Midhun Mohan

Conveners’ affiliations: University of Vigo, Spain; CSIC-Misión Biolóxica de Galicia, Spain; Freie Universität Berlin, Germany; Ecoresolve, United States

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Overview

Forest ecosystems around the world are increasingly threatened by altered wildfires regimes, induced by climate change and shifts in human–landscape interactions. Therefore, for ensuring forest conservation it is crucial to consider the occurrence of wildfires and integrate wildfire prevention strategies into decision‑making processes. Earlier research has suggested that this wildfire prevention should be planned at a landscape scale considering both the ecological and socioeconomic context of the planned area. Technologies like remote sensing, GIS and artificial intelligence are essential for such planning and therefore also to inform decision making without losing the needed landscape‑scale perspective. This symposium aims to gather a research community working on forest conservation and planning taking into account wildfire prevention, with a special focus on integrating remote sensing, GIS and artificial intelligence to ensure efficient planning at landscape scale. Additionally, the symposium will encourage interactions between researchers with (fire) ecological and socioeconomic perspectives to enrich its outcomes.

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​2. Assessment and monitoring of spatial and temporal carbon dynamics at broad scales

Conveners: Ana Francisca Castro; Fernando Pérez‑Rodríguez; João Azevedo

Conveners’ affiliations: Fora Forest Technologies, Spain; CIMO‑IPB, Portugal; CIMO‑IPB, Portugal

 

Overview

With this symposium we intend to bring together researchers and practitioners in fields involved in the assessment and monitoring of carbon dynamics at broad scales. The assessment and monitoring of carbon stocks and emissions at the landscape and regional scales often suffer from high levels of inaccuracy due to the high variability in sampling methodologies and carbon quantification methods based on ground-truth data, the difficulty in handling high-resolution data sources, the limited or nonexistent access to other data sources (e.g., LIDAR data), and the lack of mechanistic understanding of soil and vegetation processes related to carbon, among other factors. At the same time, there is growing demand of accurate carbon estimates at broad scales coming from national carbon inventories, carbon credit markets, payment of ecosystem services schemes and forest certification programs. Established and emerging scientific and technological fields can play important roles in the development of improved theoretical and applied approaches, methods and tools for data collection, analysis and modeling. This symposium is, therefore, particularly relevant for researchers in fields such as remote sensing, spatial modeling, big data management, artificial intelligence, forest modeling, forest management, environmental sciences and soil science, but also for carbon consultants and other professional in carbon-related businesses.

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3. Biodiversity Markets and Credits - Innovations, Integrity, and Equity in Tropical Forest Conservation

Conveners: Robert Nasi; Lauren Coad

Conveners’ affiliations: CIFOR‑ICRAF, Indonesia

 

Overview

This symposium provides a critical, comprehensive platform for examining the landscape of biodiversity markets and credits in tropical forest conservation. Objectives include: (1) Critically evaluating the spectrum of existing and proposed market mechanisms-from PES schemes to compliance‑driven offsets and voluntary credit systems-with a focus on their performance in tropical contexts; (2) Scrutinizing challenges of ensuring ecological integrity, including additionality, permanence, leakage and commensurability; (3) Exploring innovations in measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of biodiversity outcomes, highlighting emerging technologies that enhance accuracy, transparency and cost‑effectiveness; (4) Addressing crucial governance, ethical and social‑equity dimensions, especially the rights and participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, who are often custodians of biodiversity‑rich forests.

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4. Challenges for public-private biodiversity conservation in Patagonia, engaging local and indigenous actors in meaningful participatory processes

Conveners: Loreto Koller Mohr; Margaret Shannon

Conveners’ affiliations: University of Freiburg, Germany / PUC, Chile; University of Freiburg, Germany

 

Overview

This symposium invites critical reflections on how conservation and forest governance in protected areas are shaped by post‑colonial dynamics and the commodification of biodiversity. We will explore how inclusive participatory decision‑making-rooted in collective action and social‑capital building-might offer alternative pathways to strengthen conservation governance and promote resilience. By discussing the roles of philanthropic actors, state institutions and Indigenous communities, we aim to foster dialogue on the political and social dimensions of conservation and knowledge co‑production in the Anthropocene. Chile’s National Parks in Patagonia offer a prime case for exploring these interactions. Topics include access to protected areas, acknowledgement and protection of indigenous lands and culture, and the capacity of local and national officials to effectively contribute to conservation efforts. In particular we will focus on indigenous communities whose livelihoods and culture are deeply rooted in these landscapes. Addressing the inclusion of regional and local governmental actors as well as NGOs is key for developing policies and implementation programs within these complex socio‑ecological systems, whose resilience is vital to protecting both human and natural biodiversity.

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 5. Operational solutions for Forest Biodiversity Monitoring coupling Remote Sensing, AI, and in situ data

Conveners: Sandra Luque; Maria Santos; Petteri Vihervaara

Conveners’ affiliations: INRAE, France; University of Zurich, Switzerland; Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Finland

 

Overview

The increasing availability of satellite imagery and recent advances in remote sensing data analysis-coupled with species distribution models and artificial intelligence-present unprecedented opportunities to support biodiversity conservation targets. These technologies are revolutionizing biodiversity monitoring across spatial and temporal scales. Upcoming Earth Observation missions will deliver higher spatial and spectral resolution data, enabling more detailed measurements of essential biodiversity variables, including ecosystem extent and condition, thus enhancing our ability to monitor and manage resilient forested landscapes. Preserving and enhancing forest ecosystem integrity is essential to achieving the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the SDGs, and the Kunming Montreal GBF. We invite contributions that integrate multi sensor EO data, comprehensive in situ measurements and advanced ecological models accounting for uncertainty. Submissions should predict forest biodiversity change and its drivers and support integrated monitoring systems that leverage data from current and future RS missions and in situ observations.

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6. Bridging the Nexus and Transformative Change: Integrated Approaches for Sustainable Landscape Management

Conveners: Sandra Luque; Lucas Enrico; Lucas Garibaldi

Conveners’ affiliations: INRAE, France; Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina; UNRN, Argentina

 

Overview

The increasing availability of satellite imagery and recent advances in remote sensing data analysis-coupled with species distribution models and artificial intelligence-present unprecedented opportunities to support biodiversity conservation targets. These technologies are revolutionizing biodiversity monitoring across spatial and temporal scales. With the rise of open-access satellite data and continuously evolving remote sensing techniques, a diverse range of ecological applications is now possible. Upcoming Earth Observation missions promise to deliver higher spatial and spectral resolution data, enabling more detailed and accurate measurements of essential biodiversity variables, including ecosystem extent and condition. These capabilities significantly surpass previous products, enhancing our ability to monitor and manage resilient forested landscapes effectively. Preserving and enhancing the integrity and biodiversity of forest ecosystems is essential to achieving the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). In this context, we invite contributions that emphasize the integration of multi-sensor Earth Observation (EO) data, comprehensive insitu measurements, and advanced ecological models that account for uncertainty. Submissions should focus on methodologies that predict forest biodiversity change and its drivers-both direct and indirect-and support integrated monitoring systems that leverage data from current and future remote sensing missions and in-situ observations.

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 7. Biodiversity and multifunctionality of forest ecosystems under global change

Conveners: Shirong Liu; Hui Wang; Adam Wei; Heidi Asbjornsen; Antonio del Campo; Juan Blanco; Silvio Ferraz; Mingfang Zhang

Conveners’ affiliations: Chinese Academy of Forestry; Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, CAF; University of British Columbia (Okanagan); University of New Hampshire; Universitat Politècnica de València; Universidad Publica de Navarra; University of São Paulo; University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

 

Overview

Climate change, land-use change, and pollution threaten biodiversity, affecting carbon sequestration and nutrient and water cycling. Ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) - the capacity to sustain multiple functions – is crucial for forest resilience. Yet mechanisms linking biodiversity to EMF under global change remain unclear. This session will address: (1) tree diversity and EMF; (2) biodiversity‑EMF relationships under environmental change; (3) innovative tools or insights on biodiversity and EMF; (4) science‑based strategies to improve forest multifunctionality. Synthesizing presented studies, we aim to clarify mechanisms, identify research gaps, and offer actionable insights for policymakers.

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 8. Interdisciplinary Pathways in Patagonia, Linking Biodiversity, Society, and Science

Conveners: Paul Amouroux; Alejandro Salazar; Claudia Matus

Conveners’ affiliations: Universidad Mayor, Chile; Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; ANID Centro Justicia Educacional, Chile

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Overview

This symposium focuses on a long-term open-air observatory that integrates natural and social sciences to address socioecological challenges. Key themes include biodiversity and environmental change, climate and landscape dynamics, gender as a way of knowing nature, and tourism and scientific outreach.

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9. Stewarding the belowground half of forest biodiversity in the Anthropocene

Conveners: Cindy Prescott; Sue Grayston

Conveners’ affiliations: University of British Columbia, Canada

 

Overview

Over half of forest biodiversity lives belowground where organisms regulate key processes like soil carbon storage and greenhouse gas emissions. This symposium examines how drought, wildfire and land‑use change disrupt belowground communities and food webs, and explores management strategies to sustain them.

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10. Interspecific hybrids in forest trees: A tool for sustainable afforestation under climate change

Convener: Rakefet David-Schwartz

Convener’s affiliations: Agricultural Research Organization - Volcani Institute, Israel

 

Overview

Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to forest ecosystems and afforestation efforts worldwide. Recent research has revealed that interspecific hybrids, the result of natural or assisted hybridization between closely related forest tree species, may offer a powerful adaptive solution. These hybrids often display heterosis (hybrid vigor), enhanced physiological stress tolerance, and enriched genetic diversity, improving their capacity to cope with rapidly changing environments. This symposium will focus on the emerging role of interspecific hybrids as tools for climate-resilient forestry. Studies from various ecosystems, Mediterranean, temperate, boreal, and subtropical, have demonstrated that hybrids in genera such as Pinus, Picea, Populus, Quercus, Eucalyptus, and Acacia often outperform their parental species under water stress, low soil fertility, and pathogen pressure. In some cases, hybrids are naturally selected and persist in reforested landscapes, forming stable hybrid zones that contribute to long-term forest adaptation. Symposium Objectives: (1) Showcase examples of how hybrids contribute to forest resilience and afforestation success under climatic stress; (2) Discuss the implications of hybridization for biodiversity, genetic resource conservation, and forest policy; (3) Explore future research directions and applied strategies for integrating hybrids into sustainable forestry frameworks.

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 11. Groundbreaking research in forest landscape ecology, emerging concepts, methods, and technologies

Conveners: João Azevedo; Pinar Pamukcu-Albers; Peilei Fan; Jose Alberto Gobbi; Ajijur Rahman; Cynnamon Dobbs; Giovanni Sanesi; Kevin Potter; Maria Meza Elizalde; Sonia Carvalho-Ribeiro; Toshiya Matsuura; Zhihua Liu

Conveners’ affiliations: Instituto Politécnico de Bragança; University of Bonn; Tufts University; INTA Argentina; Peking University; University of Connecticut; Università degli studi di Bari Aldo Moro; USDA Forest Service; Universidad Nacional de Colombia; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Forestry & Forest Products Research Institute, Japan; Chinese Academy of Sciences

 

Overview

Forest landscape ecology applies landscape ecology principles to forest mosaics, focusing on their structures, processes, and management. More than 30 years after the establishment of IUFRO's Forest Landscape Ecology Working Party, the discipline faces new challenges and opportunities driven by global change and technological progress. This symposium invites studies that push conceptual, methodological, or technological boundaries to inform sustainable forest management.

 

12. Forests at the Crossroads, Integrating Human Well-being and Conservation Science in the Anthropocene

Convener: Stephan Funk

Convener’s affiliations: CIFOR-ICRAF, NatureHeritage

 

Overview

This workshop will explore the intersections between Indigenous rights, wildlife conservation, and food sovereignty in forested landscapes. Drawing from the CIFOR-ICRAF project "Wild Meat and Food Sovereignty," the session will address how sustainable use of wild meat contributes to nutrition security and cultural resilience among Indigenous communities. Through participatory discussion and knowledge exchange, the workshop aims to identify pathways that reconcile conservation goals with human well-being in the Anthropocene.

 

13. Socio-Ecological Systems and Forest Governance in the Anthropocene

Conveners: Francesca Fagandini, Antonio Villanueva

Conveners’ affiliations: CIRAD – UMR TETIS / ISRA CRA Saint-Louis, Senegal, MondeGeo, France

 

Overview

To create a shared experiential space that invites participants to reflect on the affective, sensory, and political dimensions of forest governance, and to explore how sensitive mapping methodologies can contribute to inclusive, place-based forest management. This symposium will build on impressions from the forest excursion in the conference program, with small-group mapping activities to express sensory and emotional experiences. Conveners Francesca Fagandini and Antonio Villanueva will present examples from research-action projects with rural and pastoral communities, showing how these approaches can enrich governance and conservation. The session will conclude with an open discussion on the opportunities and challenges of integrating these methods into forest management, aiming to inspire new narratives, affective connections, and shared responsibilities toward forests.

 

14. Forest Ecology in a Watershed Context

Conveners: Brian Reid, Paulo Moreno

Conveners’ affiliations: Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Chile

 

Overview

This symposium explores forest ecology and management through the lens of watershed-scale processes, emphasizing the interplay between forest structure, soils, and both water quality and quantity. Forested watersheds represent critical zones for water security, linking ecological integrity with societal well-being. We aim to highlight how forested landscapes influence hydrological dynamics and how forest management practices can either enhance or degrade watershed functions. Key themes include the role of streams as sentinels of forest hydrology, particularly in the context of hydrologic indicators, climate change, and snow regime shifts. Another focus is on forest management within riparian and wetland ecotones, including the ecological significance of wood inputs and leaf litter as fundamental components of stream energy and habitat structure. Finally, we consider the concept of a safe operating space or boundaries for sustainable ecosystem functioning, for forest management and restoration efforts, especially where rural and urban water supply depend on maintaining or improving watershed health. By bringing together diverse disciplinary and geographic perspectives, this symposium aims to foster integrative discussions on sustainable forest-water relationships, advancing both scientific understanding and practical approaches to forest management encompassing hydrological systems in a changing climate.

 

15. Towards a network for urban forest analysis in the tropics

Conveners: Fabrício Alvim Carvalho; Pedro Manuel Villa; João Azevedo

Conveners’ affiliations: UFJF, Brazil; UFJF, Brazil; Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal 

 

Overview

This symposium aims to discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in establishing a network of long‑term monitoring plots in tropical urban forests, with a focus on Latin America. Despite their ecological and social relevance, urban forests are frequently excluded from scientific meta‑analyses due to distinctive characteristics such as continuous land‑use history and the dominance of exotic species, which introduce analytical "noise". This session seeks to bring together experts to advance data‑integration efforts and enhance the representation of urban forests in global ecological research.​

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16. Sustainable Forest Management: Integrating Biodiversity for a Multifunctional Landscape

Conveners: Mariano Amoroso; Guillermo Martínez Pastur; Mónica Toro Manríquez

Conveners’ affiliations: IRNAD‑UNRN, Argentina; CADIC CONICET, Argentina; CIEP, Chile

 

Overview

Forest biodiversity encompasses the variety of life within a forest, including trees, plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, as well as their genetic variation. It represents a crucial aspect of healthy ecosystems, supporting a wide range of species and providing essential ecosystem services. Forests with high biodiversity are more resilient and provide a wider array of services-such as carbon sequestration and water regulation-while also underpinning the sustainable provision of diverse forest products and economic opportunities, contributing to truly multifunctional landscapes. Forest biodiversity is considered at various levels (ecosystem, landscape, population, species, genetic); thus sustainable forest‑management practices are crucial for maintaining and enhancing it. Within this framework we stress the importance of an integrative, landscape‑level perspective for managing forests, recognizing that biodiversity is a foundational component for achieving conservation and sustainable use. We welcome presentations that relate forest management and conservation efforts within a holistic approach to forest biodiversity, aiming to foster productive and resilient multifunctional forest landscapes.

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17. Forest connectivity, fragmentation, and restoration: Remote sensing for mapping, tools, and policy applications

Convener: Peter Vogt

Convener’s affiliations: European Commission-Joint Research Centre (JRC)

 

Overview

This symposium will discuss and present advances from the EU Observatory on Deforestation and Forest Degradation (EUFO), focusing on global forest connectivity, fragmentation, restoration potential, and related policy applications. It will explore forest mapping, commodities, CO₂ fluxes, and analytical tools, with emphasis on the Global Forest Attribute Layers. Participants will gain insights into how these datasets and analyses are applied in international contexts, including FAO, USFS, and EU legislation, to assess forest change, its drivers, and restoration opportunities. 

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18. What is needed to harmonize biodiversity monitoring in national forest inventories?

Conveners: Petteri Vihervaara; Zsofia Koma; Johannes Breidenbach

Conveners’ affiliations: Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Finland; Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Norway

 

Overview

Experiences from the cooperation network of Nordic NFIs and emerging biodiversity‑monitoring networks. National Forest Inventories (NFIs) have a long tradition of collecting standardized forest data across countries in Fennoscandia. Biodiversity‑monitoring networks don’t have such a long tradition of collaboration in the same region, and diverse monitoring schemes are only now increasing cooperation and harmonizing their methods. These parallel communities have many synergies and could together design the metrics needed to improve biodiversity monitoring in forests. In this session we will: 1) share experiences of developing harmonized measures for monitoring biodiversity in forest ecosystems; 2) present best practices for integrating in situ and remote‑sensing observations for forest and biodiversity inventories; and 3) discuss future possibilities of expanding such approaches to other regions, based on experiences from boreal, hemi‑boreal and temperate forests of Northern Europe.​​​​​​

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19. Implementing and monitoring restoration actions in Mediterranean and Temperate forests of Latin America

Conveners: Jan Bannister; René Zamora; Claudia Cerda; Osvaldo Vidal; Natalia Carrasco; Rodrigo Vargas; Andrés Fuentes; Patricio Salinas

Conveners’ affiliations: Instituto Forestal (INFOR), Chile; Oregon State University, USA; Universidad de Chile, Chile; Universidad de Magallanes, Chile; Fundación Chilco, Chile; Universidad de La Frontera, Chile; Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF), Chile.

 

Overview

There are enormous restoration challenges in Latin America's Mediterranean and Temperate forest ecosystems, where millions of hectares need to be restored in coming years, across a wide variety of sites with unique environmental characteristics. To improve the effectiveness, quality, and scalability of restoration projects, it is urgent to incorporate into restoration plans the vast scientific knowledge accumulated in recent decades regarding the ecological, social, and cultural dimensions of restoration. We must go further, incorporating key themes to ensure the successful implementation of restoration actions, including technical topics from forestry to biological and social sciences-such as species autecology, forest dynamics, functional traits, establishment techniques-as well as transversal social, economic, and environmental governance aspects, which are essential to face the challenges of restoration in the 21st century. This symposium systematizes key research on the restoration of Mediterranean and Temperate forest ecosystems in a wide variety of situations in Latin America. Some participants are authors of a recently published book on "Restoration of Forest Ecosystems", one of the first books in Spanish on the subject, which will serve as a guide for future generations of restorers in the southern part of the world.​

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20. Conflicts, Debates, Visions and Solutions: Facilitating Transdisciplinary Stakeholder Engagement in Co-Creation for Improving Forest Adaptability

Conveners: Sophie Ehrhardt; Claire-Paulette Depardieu; Henrik Hartmann; Philippe Rozenberg; Blas Mola

Conveners’ affiliations: Julius Kuehn-Institute, Germany; Laval University, Canada; Julius Kuehn-Institute; INRAE, France; University of Eastern Finland, Finland.

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Overview

Session organized by the IUFRO Task Force FORLIVS and the EU project eco2adapt. This symposium will explore the role of forest living labs as innovative and transdisciplinary spaces where scientists, practitioners, policy makers, and local stakeholders come together to co-create knowledge and solutions. The session will highlight how living labs provide real-world platforms to test, implement, and scale adaptive management practices that enhance forest resilience under climate change and socio-economic pressures. Presentations and discussions will focus on concrete examples from different regions, illustrating how participatory approaches can bridge science and practice, integrate diverse perspectives, and foster inclusive decision-making. By bringing together experiences from Europe, Latin America, and beyond, the symposium aims to generate insights on the governance, design, and long-term sustainability of forest living labs, and their potential to inform future forest policy and management frameworks.​​