Research paper Archive

19 May 2026

Chemical timber tracing: combining tree-genera information lowers reference data needs and makes harvest location identification more accurate

Research paper Key message  Chemistry-based tracing techniques are increasingly used for combating illegal timber trade, but they are currently limited by the small and fragmented reference datasets available. We introduce a model that integrates data from multiple
19 May 2026

Forest change across the European Union: spatial patterns, drivers, and governance insights from a pan-European expert survey

Research paper Key message  Forests in Europe are changing unevenly. Recovery dominates parts of Northern and Central Europe, while disturbance, degradation, and loss intensify in Southern and Eastern regions, and urbanization-driven fragmentation is spreading widely. A pan-European
19 May 2026

Modeling crown width and canopy cover in Quercus suber L. stands: from forest management equations to 3PG-compatible formulations

Research paper Key message This study provides new equations to estimate crown width and percent crown cover of cork oak (Quercus suber L.), helping forest managers understand forest structure and making informed decisions on understory management and thinning
27 Mar 2026

Effects of Ips typographus (L.) and sanitation logging disturbance on organic matter decomposition and carbon in the humus layer in boreal Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. stands

Research paper Key message  Sanitation logging, aimed at mitigating the spread of European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus L.) outbreaks in boreal stands, was associated with increased decomposition and loss of carbon from the humus layer, measured 10 years
23 Mar 2026

From between-stand to within-tree variation: wood and timber quality of Norway spruce (Picea abies H. Karst) analyzed at scale using laser scanning and industrial data

Research paper Key message  Using laser scanning and industrial data, we found that over 70% of wood quality variability occurred within Norway spruce (Picea abies H. Karst) trees. The most important wood quality predictors were stem size, crown
6 Feb 2026

ENSO advances spring phenology of temperate deciduous shrubs more than trees in Southeastern Wisconsin, USA

Research paper Key message The 2024 ENSO event advanced the timing of spring phenological phases of native shrubs significantly more than non-native shrubs and native trees in a temperate deciduous woodland fragment in Wisconsin, USA. This suggests
30 Jan 2026

Inoculation success of Inonotus obliquus (Ach. ex Pers.) Pilát in birch (Betula pendula Roth, B. pubescens Ehrh.) and alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench, A. glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) in Estonia

Research paper Key message This is the first study to investigate the success of inoculation of Alnus incana and A. glutinosa with Inonotus obliquus (Ach. ex Pers.) Pilát, providing new insights about the potential cultivation of this valuable fungus under field conditions. Results show that conks
27 Jan 2026

Impact of extreme precipitation events on summer deep seepage below temperate forests in the Northeastern Germany lowlands

Research paper Key message Stands stocked with European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) show distinct deep seepage patterns. An increasing importance of extreme summer precipitation contributing to deep seepage
22 Jan 2026

Crown–branching trade-offs mediate growth and resilience to drought, frost, and masting under moderate thinning in European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Key message Thinning boosts radial growth in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), but more is not always better: moderate thinning offers the best vitality balance by keeping resilience comparable to heavily thinned trees, while reducing the sensitivity to
16 Jan 2026

Integrated modelling approaches for estimating total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and ash content in forest floor samples using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

Key message ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with statistical modelling provides accurate predictions of forest floor properties: total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and ash. Performance decreases in carbonate-rich samples, particularly for organic carbon and the carbon to