B4EST (KB-24-002-045)

The changing climate is an important driver of change in forests. It can increase forest vulnerability to damage and disease occurrence and intensity, reduce forest health and productivity, and cause economic losses. However, it can also have positive effects, offering opportunities for growing trees in previously suboptimal regions.

The strategic goal of B4EST is to increase forest survival, health, resilience and productivity under climate change and natural disturbances, while maintaining genetic diversity and key ecological functions and fostering a competitive EU bio-based economy. B4EST will provide forest tree breeders, forest owners, managers and policy makers with:

1) better scientific knowledge of adaptation profiles to increase sustainable forest productivity, and added value of raw materials for economically important tree species,

2) new and flexible adaptive tree breeding strategies and tools,

3) tree genotypes of high adaptive and economic value,

4) decision-support tools for the choice and use of Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) for balancing production, resilience and genetic diversity,

5) robust management and transfer recommendations for FRM deployment at stand and landscape levels,

6) policy recommendations to adapt European forest production systems to the challenges posed by climate change and natural disturbances, and to meet societal demands set to sustainable and multifunctional utilization of forest resources.