BIOCONSENT: Decision Support for Forest Biodiversity Policy

BIOCONSENT aims to provide novel scientific knowledge and policy support by (i.) analysis of the (in)coherence of cross-sectoral policies, (ii.) assessment of forest users behavioral changes towards sustainable socio-ecosystems with improved biodiversity status, and (iii.) integration of biophysical, social, economic and governance drivers at the biodiversity-forest-climate-water nexus. The project uses integrative socio-ecological approaches to assess and quantify outcomes of alternative conservation and restoration measures on forest biodiversity and ecosystem services provision across spatial and temporal scales. The main contribution is decision support through i) better knowledge about tradeoffs and synergies between policy objectives and management practices, ii) novel development and application of participatory foresight methods to explore behavioral responses promoting transformational change, iii) agent-based modelling tools that assess and quantify synergies and trade-offs between forest conservation and restoration, and iv) policy and management recommendations, and policy learning through dissemination of knowledge and good practices.

Europe's forests cannot be protected by ambitious targets alone. Success also depends on policies that work together and on forest owners and managers being able and willing to change how forests are managed. Forests are especially important in addressing the continuing decline in biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystems because they support around 80% of the world's land-based biodiversity. Protecting and restoring forest habitats, species, and natural processes is essential for conserving biodiversity and storing carbon, as well as providing other ecosystem services such as timber production and recreation. The BIOCONSENT project examined why progress remains difficult despite strong international and EU commitments. Policies for biodiversity, forestry, climate, and water are closely connected, but they are not always designed or implemented consistently, while forest owners and managers must make decisions under competing policy demands, environmental and economic pressures, and climate uncertainty. The project combined policy research, surveys, and workshops with forest owners and managers to assess the management behaviours of forest practitioners in a range of European countries and how these behaviours are likely to change in response to different policy pressures. Combining these results with sophisticated, state-of-the-art computer models of forest development, the project assessed how different management choices could affect European forests, including forest biodiversity, carbon storage, timber production, and other ecosystem benefits under different climate-change scenarios. The research also found considerable diversity among forest owners and managers, both within and across countries. The modelling results indicate that the existing age, composition, and structure of forests strongly shape what management can achieve, suggesting that, under many current approaches, improvements in biodiversity are likely to remain modest. Across the countries studied, stakeholders often preferred "land-sharing" strategies. Active restoration was also widely supported. Separating areas more clearly between production and conservation can also be effective, but mainly under more contrasting future conditions. By bringing together social research, behavioural insights, and ecological modelling, the BIOCONSENT project provides practical information for policymakers, forest owners and managers, and other stakeholders. Its outputs include policy analyses, modelled future scenarios, decision-support tools, and recommendations designed to help Europe manage forests more effectively under changing climatic and economic conditions.