26 March 2021- MENDELU— The ASFORCLIC – Adaption strategies in forestry under global climate change impact online Kick-off meeting was hosted by the Mendel University in Brno (MENDELU). Fifty participants from all the ASFORCLIC partners’ institutions honoured the event with their presence. ASFORCLIC is a 3-year project falling under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Twinning scheme. The meeting was an excellent opportunity for all project partners to meet and interact.

“ASFORCLIC plays an essential role in improving the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology research and innovation profile, creating new research alliances, and enriching young researchers’ possibilities,” stated Libor Jankovský, dean of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology MENDELU. The main scientific topics are multidisciplinary research measures about the cultivation of less used/ less known tree species and their possible application in practice. The team focuses on habitat diversification issues, general climatic parameters affecting water and nutrient availability limits and measures, and strategies for adapting forestry to climate change. ASFORCLIC also covers climate change impacts on wood production and its properties to define future wood products’ effect. Improving the biodiverse structure of European forests, reflecting market requirements for sufficient wood production and quality, and models for different trees to be grown in connection to their economic use and health status is another important research topic included in the project.

After a round of introductory presentations and objectives’ setting, the discussion focused on scientific information and activities within the Working groups. Working groups “Forestry”, “Wood properties and its applications”, and “Bioeconomy and policy” will cover the project activities. “The first working group focuses on the impact of the changing environment on forest trees and forest structure and aims to analyse various adaptation strategies. The second one studies the use of wood from less frequently used wood species and the possibility of modifying their properties. The third working group analyses the economic aspects of the use of wood and also target policies that can support various adaptation strategies,” said Vladimír Gryc from the Department of Wood Science and Wood Technology Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology MENDELU. Working groups allow early-stage researchers and young researchers to discuss their topic with scientists from advanced institutions.

In the Kick-off meeting frame, the participants voted for the official ASFORCLIC logo drafted by MENDELU design students. Filip Dočkal designed the winning logo.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°952314.

Background information:

ASFORCLIC succeeded in competing with 439 project proposals submitted within the Twinning call of the H2020 programme. Seventy-seven successful projects will share 69 million Euros support, including this project implemented at the Mendel University in Brno, receiving about 0.9 Mio €. University coordinates seven other institutions from Germany, Austrian, Sweden and Slovenia. The project was launched in January 2021.

Participating institutions:

• Mendel University in Brno, CZ
• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, AT
• Bavarian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry, DE
• Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute – Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, DE
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE
• Technical University of Munich, DE
• University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, AT
• University of Ljubljana, SI

 Contact information: Mendel University in Brno: Pavlína Pancová Šimková +420 602 876 444, pavlina.simkova@mendelu.cz