MoniFun: Co-creating a blueprint of a harmonised European Forest Multifunctionality Monitoring System

The main goal of the project is to establish a comprehensive European forest multifunctionality monitoring system (EFMMS) to address the challenges posed by climate change and environmental stressors on Europe's forests. The project is scheduled to span four years, starting in January 2024.

Europe's forests face challenges from climate change, intensive management, and pollution, affecting their ability to provide ecosystem functions. Understanding the interplay between resilience, management, protection, and services is incomplete due to limited data and fragmented sources. The lack of harmonized monitoring hinders evidence-based policy planning and mitigation efforts at European and national levels.

The objective of MoniFun is to consolidate both publicly available and previously inaccessible raw data into a harmonized platform that can inform stakeholders on forest multifunctionality and aid evidence-based policy-making for environmental challenges. The project intends to integrate remote sensing (RS) with on-the-ground field data through semi-automatic processes, which will be easy for data providers to use. This integration will be used to develop standardized indicators with the input of expert knowledge, ensuring the system can evolve with changing informational needs.

FNR is using a multi-actor approach to effectively engage stakeholders in the MoniFun project, addressing diverse needs and ensuring broad project applicability. FNR is also responsible for managing communication and dissemination activities, with EU-level support for executing the plan and strategies.

Project Acronym: MoniFun

Project Duration: 48 Months, Start: 01.01.2024, End: 31.12.2027

Project Partners:

1. LUONNONVARAKESKUS (LUKE), FINLAND
2. AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS (CSIC), SPAIN
3. CONSIGLIO PER LA RICERCA IN AGRICOLTURA E L'ANALISI DELL'ECONOMIA AGRARIA (CREA), ITALY
4. ÚSTAV PRO HOSPODÁŘSKOU ÚPRAVU LESŮ BRANDÝS NAD LABEM (UHUL FMI), CZECHIA
5. FACHAGENTUR NACHWACHSENDE ROHSTOFFE EV (FNR), GERMANY
6. JOHANN HEINRICH VON THUENEN-INSTITUT, BUNDESFORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FUER LAENDLICHE RAEUME, WALD UND FISCHEREI (THUENEN), GERMANY
7. EUROPEAN FOREST INSTITUTE (EFI), FINLAND
8. NIBIO - NORSK INSTITUTT FOR BIOOKONOMI (NIBIO), NORWAY
9. STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCH (WR), NETHERLANDS
10. SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITET (SLU), SWEDEN
11. BUNDESFORSCHUNGS UND AUSBILDUNGSZENTRUM FUR WALD NATURGEFAHREN UND LANDSCHAFT (BFW), AUSTRIA

Contact Person: Vanaja Vankayalapati

Website: www.monifun.eu

MoniFun is funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under project no. 101134991