[en] The five technical workshops organised at Regefor 2009, together with the plenary discussion organised during this event, are summarised here and commented upon. The diversity of the opinions and analyses is very apparent from this overview: increased production in combination with better protection; the need for research and the focus of the latter; evaluation of forestry resources; silvicultural practices; soils; research and development; social sciences. (authors)

[en] This article focuses on possible developments in silvicultural practices in connection with the projected increased use of timber for energy purposes and higher demand for workable and industrial timber. In the first section, it offers a characterisation of the various types of silvicultural practices. It then discusses possible developments in various silvicultural treatments (forests not under management, occasional treatments, periodic treatments, coppice with standards, coppice, short rotation coppice and very short rotation coppice) under various assumptions: continued present trend, increased logging in the near future under the multifunctional intensification scenario and industrial intensification scenario. (authors)

[en] The energy crisis and predicted global warming are opening up new prospects for the use of forest biomass. France has made a commitment within Europe to increase the proportion of renewable energy in total energy consumption to 23% by 2020, i.e. a threefold increase on the current situation. Much of the biomass used will come from forests, for which the Grenelle Environmental Forum set a target of 20 Mm³ additional harvest by 2020, i.e. a 30% increase on the current situation. In addition, France is committed, alongside other European countries and within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted in 1992, to 'halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010', and the 'Grenelle de l'Environnement' itself is committed to preserving forest biodiversity. The possibility of reconciling the objectives of increasing biomass production and conserving biodiversity was discussed as part of the Grenelle Environmental Forum, which saw the major forestry partners agree on the objective of 'producing more (wood) while better preserving (biodiversity)' as part of 'a concerted territorial approach respecting the multifunctional management of forests'. At the request of the French Ministry for the Environment, GIP Ecofor has coordinated a collective study to summarize the potential implications of increasing the use of forest biomass on biodiversity and natural resources (soil and water) in mainland France. The study covered: - the context, forest biomass utilization prospects and forestry development scenarios to be expected in the medium term; - the possible impact of these developments on wood resources, forest biodiversity, forest soils and surface waters; - the recommendations that can be made to control the main risks and organize governance so as to effectively harvest more wood while preserving the forest environment and its biodiversity; - opportunities associated with favorable conditions for the use of biomass. The study did not address, except very partially, the world of micro-organisms, insect pests and pathogenic fungi, the intraspecific variability of forest trees, and more generally 'functional' biodiversity, ecosystem functioning (mineral element flows, etc.), the link with climate change, and the case of tropical forests

[en] The Resobio project (management of forest slash: preservation of soils and biodiversity) aimed at updating knowledge available at the international level (with a focus on temperate areas) on the potential consequences of forest slash sampling on fertility and on biodiversity, and at identifying orientations for recommendations for a revision of the ADEME guide of 2006 on wise collecting of forest slash. The first part of this report is a synthesis report which gives an overview of results about twenty issues dealing with the nature of wood used for energy production and the role of slash, about the consequences of this type of collecting for soil fertility and species productivity, and about impacts on biodiversity. Based on these elements, recommendations are made for slash management and for additional follow-up and research. The second part contains five scientific and technical reports which more deeply analyse the issue of fertility, and technical documents on slash management (guides) published in various countries

[en] This practical guide (collectively developed with representatives of forestry professionals and timber industries, the academic world and environmental associations) summarizes the main issues for a sustainable harvest of wood for the production of wood-chips. It presents operational decision support tools and good practices aimed at maintaining the chemical fertility and physical integrity of soils, conserving habitats for biodiversity and preserving wetlands and courtyards of water. It also recalls that consultation between owners, forest stakeholders and representatives of civil society is the key to implementing and adapting these recommendations to each situation

[en] After a recall of the context and purpose of the Gerboise project (sound management of wood-energy harvesting), the observation report first presents the observatory of exploitation practices for the provision of forest pellets: national survey among the main wood-energy mobilizers in France, detailed follow-ups of some wood-energy harvesting works, calculations of exports (calculation methodology, results of biomass and mineral-mass exports, calculation assessment and discussion). It also proposes an assessment of aid-to-decision tools (test of an export calculation tool, tools for flow assessments). A synthesis of this report is then provided. The third document is a guide of recommendations for a sustainable harvesting of forest biomass for energy purposes, for any kind of wood harvesting and more particularly for the case of harvesting of wood residues and stumps. It notably outlines reasons to be cautious when harvesting wood, and indicates diagnoses to be performed before starting a harvesting work

[en] The work of the Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was presented in March 2014. Entitled Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, this second volume of the fifth IPCC Assessment Report details the impacts of climate change to date, future risks due to climate change and opportunities for effective intervention to reduce these risks. The effects of climate change are already being felt in all sectors and in all areas (agriculture, health, land and ocean ecosystems, water supply), and on every land mass and ocean (from small islands to large continents) from the richest to the poorest. Climatic change often interacts with other sources of stress to increase risk. The world is nevertheless unprepared for the risks of climate change and adaptation can contribute greatly to reducing them. Since its creation in 2001, the 'Observatoire national sur les effets du rechauffement climatique' or ONERC has worked for the dissemination of knowledge on climate change and its expected impacts on natural and human systems. Published in 2011 under the aegis of ONERC, the 'Plan national d'adaptation au changement climatique' (national plan for adaptation to climate change) (PNACC) points out that the forest sector has been facing serious crises over the last decade, such as storms, droughts and recurrent forest fires. Climate change appears as an additional risk factor, which must therefore be afforded the keenest attention. From this point on, in addition to these exceptional events we must also take stock of background developments, given the length of forest life cycles. These events and developments present a double aspect, with some more favourable (increased productivity in some areas) and others more problematic (changes to the areas of distribution of species, increased risks), both requiring management. The ONERC advisory board wanted the 2013 report to take up the issue of trees and forests facing the challenges of climate change. This report is intentionally limited to mainland France, since for overseas areas the topic has already been the subject of a chapter in the sector-specific analysis of a previous report entitled 'Les outre-mer face au defi du changement climatique' ('Overseas departments facing the challenge of climate change'). Moreover, most of the elements related to forest management are still relevant for overseas areas. This report is organized into seven chapters. The first introduces the problem, outlining the different aspects of trees and forests and explaining the different services they provide. The second deals with the visible or expected effects of climate change on trees and forests. The third deals with protective forests and explores possible developments of this particular service. The fourth looks at forest management methods promoting the adaptation of forests and trees. The fifth tackles the lesser known problem of agroforestry, the usefulness of trees for adaptation in agricultural areas. The sixth reflects upon those economic activities related to the forest industries. The seventh and final chapter addresses the topic with an unusual perspective, suggesting a walk in the Troncais forest in 2050. Three appendices complete this report: Appendix 1 - report on the observatory's activity, Appendix 2 - abbreviations and acronyms, Appendix 3 - contributors and acknowledgements

[en] The forest-based sector, like the regions where it is a symbolic feature, is currently central to challenges that are not only specifically national but also of a global nature. As a major carbon sink that is currently affected by climate change, forests are acknowledged as supplying a large number of products and services. Both economically and socially important - representing a turnover of euros 60 billion and 440,000 direct and indirect jobs -, the 14. ranking strategic industrial sector in France remains vulnerable, with a marked trade deficit of around euros 1 billion per year for timber alone, and nearly euros 5.5 billion per year if the imported materials used by the furniture, paper and board sectors are added. Faced with these challenges, support for the competitiveness of the forest-based sector, and improvements to its global, economic, environmental and social performance, necessitate a reinforcement of the research-development innovation (RDI) continuum. Work on this assignment combined various pre-existing sources (studies by the National Forest Wood Programme (PNFB) and the Strategic Committee for Forestry and Wood Sector (CSFB)), with individual or collective consultations with different actors in the sector. This approach generated two series of proposals: - 13 RDI projects grouped according to three central and complementary priorities: (a) to improve performance in all parts of the sector through systemic approaches, (b) to develop uses for wood in a future bio-economic context, and (c) to adapt forests and prepare forest resources for the future; - an analysis of RDI mechanisms and funding instruments in the sector, supplemented by recommendations: (a) mapping of these mechanisms, and (b) the characterisation and development of innovative funding modes

[en] The aim of this report is to demonstrate that the biogeochemical approach provides a uniting framework for managing the environment of our planet and in particular the environment of a planet reshaped by Man in the best possible way. This framework is based on the study of the biogeochemical cycles that characterize the biosphere (i.e. the place where life is present) and that are naturally linked to the Earth's overall geochemical cycles. The goal of this report is not to describe the biogeochemical cycles of all the chemical elements, but to show why and how these cycles have a significant role in the evolution of a planet shaped by man. In order to do so, the report is divided into two units and four parts: In the first unit, all the information that is directly linked to understanding geochemical cycles is brought together. It is divided in two parts. The first part concerns the description of the biogeochemical cycle of some of the elements that play a major role in the bio-geosphere. We have focused on: - carbon, because it is involved in all of the cycles, i.e. the atmospheric, ecological and geological cycles (chapter 1); - nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur because they are specific to the living world and because their role is likely to be primordial in the environment (chapter 2); - silicon, aluminum and iron because they allow us to make a bridge between the ecological and the geological systems (chapter 3); - finally, radionuclides (natural and artificial), due to their impact on the biological environment (chapter 4); The second part concerns the biogeochemical study of a number of representative environments of the natural and man-shaped planet. Regarding natural ecosystems, we have focused on: - forest ecosystems, which are highly characteristic of terrestrial environments and which are the site of often very efficient biogeochemical recycling (chapter 5.1); - oceanic environments. Although not part of our topic, the biogeochemistry of these environments is described very briefly to show that in this field everything at the surface of the planet is linked (chapter 5.2). In environments that are highly influenced by Man where the excess and overload of certain elements can lead to dysfunctions, we have focused on three types of environments: - the agricultural sector, where we looked at the practice of manuring using exogenous organic matter (EOM) which is found in areas of intensive breeding farms (chapter 6.1); - the industrial sector; we present a number of environments where certain elements are in excess, such as can happen in mining and metallurgy areas (chapter 6.2); - Finally, we looked at estuary environments because they are the collection point for numerous contaminants coming from the continents (chapter 6.3). The second unit proceeds from all we have learnt in the first, briefly that biogeochemical cycles are the consequence of complex systems that necessitate many scientific fields and numerous data. This consideration implies: a) further studies in certain scientific areas; b) a particular interest in data collection; c) the reliance on model building. Point a) constitutes the third part which stresses the development of all venues concerning the role of the soil as a living environment. Knowledge is still lacking in this area. Concerning this issue, two points are considered in particular: - research on micro-organisms that are crucial for transforming waste and other residues from living beings and their return to the mineral state (chapter 7); - research on soil organic matter, which plays a fundamental role because it is an intermediate between the mineral world and the living world (chapter 8). Points b) and c) are treated in the fourth part of the report which discusses model operations (chapter 9) and problems linked to a generalized collection of data (for instance, observatories, networks) (chapter 10)