The general approach of the Action is to determine a continental synergy among research groups that faced similar research questions and data collection the local and regional scale in different countries. The first hurdle to be faced is the standardization of data for the analysis of biodiversity patterns, the definition of a coordinated network of sites and of shared protocols for future research activities.

Group leader Sebastian Kepfer Rojas, vice-leader Giovanni Trentanovi

This WG will integrate the biodiversity database with information on forest management and structural attributes. This will serve the refinement of management information across the dataset, as well as specific guidelines to associate forest structure to management treatment. By using multi-taxonomic information, the degree of sustainability of different management treatments for several taxa will be assessed. A meta-analysis approach on raw data will be particularly valued so that the WG will have general though reliable results, overcoming limitations associated with both local studies and meta-analyses based on literature.

Group leader Tommaso Sitzia, Vice-leader Dimitrios Fotakis

This WG will take advantage of the fine-scale management information available for sites under manipulation experiments to analyse the effects of innovative management strategies, likely underrepresented across the network of observational sites. This WG will also focus on sharing knowledge on forest manipulation experiments in order to promote these research activities and coordinate them into a single network.

Group leader Flora Tinya, Vice-leader Bjorn Norden

To be effective for management, indicators should be based on the desired states and functions of the ecosystem also based on value judgments of stakeholders. These can be used to define thresholds, i.e. points at which small changes in environmental conditions produce large, and sometimes abrupt responses in ecosystem state or function. This WG will use this framework to set desirable states for multiple taxonomic groups and translate these into specific ecological thresholds.

Group leader Inken Doerfler, Vice-leader Michal Ciach

This WG will define a set of SFM indicators that, differently from those currently in use, derive directly from analyses of forest multi-taxon biodiversity. The WG will test existing and new metrics including additive and composite indicators based on live structure, forest habitats and taxa. Particular attention will be paid to heterogeneity metrics that potentially perform better than abundance metrics. For taxon-based diversity indices, the WG will apply the Hill number series so to include diversity and abundance information in the tested parameters. Indicator relevance and comprehensibility will be discussed with the stakeholders at every stage of the work, especially for new indicators. Their validation will hence be based both on intrinsic scientific qualities as well as on social and management performance.

Group leader Yoan Paillet, Vice-leader Kris Vandekerkhove

This WG will create a set of guidelines aimed at balancing timber production and biodiversity conservation in European forests. The general goal will be to assess management guidelines appropriate for a given scale of interest, ranging from broad forest types to specific habitats. To serve this goal quantitative prescriptions will be given within and among stands, and at the landscape scale also accounting for the different natural disturbance regimes and structure of each forest type.

These prescriptions will be disseminated among managers operating within the Natura2000 network and under certification schemes.

Group leader Thomas Andrew Nagel, Vice-leader Dimitrios Fotakis