Context

Since time immemorial, forests have played an extremely important role in our society and economy by providing jobs, food, medicines, materials, clean water, and many other services to humanity. They also provide vital habitats for most terrestrial species. As valuable as they have been in the past, their role going forward will be ever more essential. Indeed, forests are a natural ally in efforts to adapt to global changes and mitigate their effects.

However, forest ecosystems are increasingly exposed to unprecedented pressures: climate change and its associated natural disturbances (e.g., wildfires, storms, droughts); the emergence of new pests, parasites, and diseases; and the growing societal demand for natural resources, including new land uses. Human activities and management practices have a major and global impact on the current and future state of forests. There are also complex links between forests and human cultures, social perceptions, and beliefs worldwide. Thus, forests are classic examples of socio-ecological systems arising from the interdependence between human activities and ecosystem functioning.

One of the main objectives of the European Green Deal is to promote the transition of forest socio-ecosystems (FSE) towards greater sustainability: preserving carbon stocks and sinks while maintaining biodiversity and providing renewable resources for a circular bioeconomy. However, this vision raises questions about the nature and magnitude of the compromises needed to ensure the enduring integrity of forests and of the services they provide. Faced with threats to the socio-economic, biological, and ecological functioning of forests, managers and policymakers are confronted with many uncertainties. The objective of FORESTT is to develop an integrative view of FSE, based on interdisciplinarity and knowledge integration, that can inform debate and decisions about the future of these vital components of the biosphere. FORESTT will contribute to conceptual and methodological breakthroughs that will yield transformative change in our responses to global changes and crises.