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Advancing airborne assessments of GHG fluxes
Linköping University
This project develops new methods for large-scale greenhouse gas flux measurements with drones (UAVs) to accurately quantify methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide emissions, enabling better assessments and regulation of climate-sensitive fluxes from landscapes.
Atmospheric oxidation of emissions from the boreal forest in a complex and nonlinear world
University of Gothenburg
This VR-funded project explores how biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) contribute to atmospheric particle formation, a key process in climate and air quality. Due to the complexity and variability of BVOC emissions and their oxidation, the study bridges the gap between laboratory findings and real-world conditions. Using forest management-induced BVOC scenarios at the Norunda ICOS/ACTRIS station, and applying advanced mass spectrometry and field observations, it investigates secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation under natural conditions. The findings improve understanding of BVOC oxidation mechanisms, supporting more accurate climate and air quality predictions.
AVENGERS - Attributing and verifying european and national greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions and reconciliation with statistical bottom up estimates
Lund University, Thomas Herbert Kaminski, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Heidelberg University, Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO, Netherlands), Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), German Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (Hauge), Stichting VU, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
AVENGERS is a Research and Innovation project funded under the Horizon Europe program of the European Union with the overall objective to reconcile reported GHG emissions with independent information from atmospheric observations using top-down methods and process-based models, and thereby reduce the most important uncertainties of national emission inventories.
BESTFOREST - Towards the Last Rotation? Evaluating Alternative Management Strategies for Increased Climate and Biodiversity Benefits in Boreal Forests
SLU Umeå
Boreal forests are vital to Sweden’s bio-based economy and provide key ecosystem services such as climate regulation and biodiversity support. Adapting forest management to climate change is essential, and a shift from traditional Rotation Forestry (RF) to Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) is being considered to enhance environmental benefits and resilience. However, limited empirical data hinders informed decision-making. This Formas-funded project addresses that gap by using the unique SITES and ICOS-Svartberget infrastructures, along with CCF trial stands, to collect comprehensive data on biomass production, climate interactions, and biodiversity under both RF and CCF. The goal is to integrate this knowledge into a decision-support framework that guides optimized forest management strategies under current and future climate conditions.
BREATHE - Monitoring river metabolism to assess ecosystem services
Umeå University/SE, River Ecosystems Laboratory/CH, CSIC Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB) Dept. Marine Ecology/ES, University of Bristol/GB, Norwegian Institute for Water Research/NOR, Federal University of São João del-Rei/BR
The BREATHE project aims to develop an international, sensor-based River Observation System (RIOS) to better assess river ecosystem functions and their link to ecosystem services such as climate regulation, water purification, and fisheries. Current national indicators often fail to capture these functions or translate them into ecosystem services. By leveraging advances in aquatic sensors, river metabolism methods, and data handling, BREATHE seeks to quantify river health more accurately using dissolved oxygen and metabolism metrics. Through stakeholder engagement and diverse case studies across Europe and Brazil, the project co-designs workflows and tests region-specific applications, ultimately improving river monitoring and informing policy.
CLIMB-FOREST - CLImate Mitigation and Bioeconomy pathways for sustainable FORESTry
Lund University, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (Nibio), Catholic University of Leuven, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, University of Helsinki, Global Change Research Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, University of Alcalá, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), University of Göttingen, University of Barcelona, Fundacion Centro de Estudios Ambientales del Mediterraneo (CEAM), Czech Technical University in Prague, Institut Européen de la Forêt Cultivée, Agricultural University of Krakow, ETH Zürich, OPPLA EEIG, Selvik Bruk AS
Climb-Forest is a new Horizon Europe project which aims to ensure Europe’s forests are resilient to the changing climate and support people and nature. CLIMB-FOREST aims to suggest alternative pathways for tomorrow’s forest tree cover and forest management that goes in line with climate mitigation of the forest while preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services at the same time. The methodology involves characterizing all possible climate effects including atmospheric chemistry and aerosols in the forest for a correct climate effects estimation and using both empirical data and modelling tools to quantify how climate and environment is affected. The project is working closely with the forestry sector and policy makers.
Continuous cover forestry in boreal forests: Consequences for timber production, carbon sequestration and biodiversity
SLU Umeå
This project, funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, investigates how key ecosystem services—timber production, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity—vary across different forest management methods in boreal forests. With climate change expected to impact the boreal region significantly, adaptive strategies are needed. Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) is being considered as an alternative to traditional Rotation Forestry (RF), but empirical data on its effects are limited. Using trial sites across Sweden, the project evaluates various CCF methods, including selective thinning, checkerboard systems, and gap-felling, to assess their impact on forest productivity, carbon resilience, and ecological functions. The goal is to develop a decision-support framework that guides sustainable silviculture strategies tailored to future climate conditions.
CORE Climate costs of boreal forest clear-cutting - a multiscale experiment (2018-)
Lund University, University of Helsinki, Swansea University
The CORE project aims to assess the climate effects of rotation forestry at Norunda, the boreal research site with Sweden's longest record of greenhouse gas flux measurements. Within the project. i.a., exchanges of the greenhouse gases CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide are measured to derive the full greenhouse gas budget of the area, but also biomass dynamics, soil conditions, groundwater and soil moisture dynamics, at scales spanning from microbes to the ecosystem. The dataset is then used to calibrate the ecosystem model LPJ-Guess, simulate greenhouse gas sinks and sources from land and vegetation, and analyse consequences of a range of reforestation strategies and climate change scenarios.
CORSO - CO2MVS Research on Supplementary Observations
European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts, AGH University of Science and Technology, Centro Nacional de Supercomputación, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), Thomas Herbert Kaminski, Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques (Meteo-France), Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO, Netherlands), University of Groningen, Heidelberg University, Université Paul Sabatier, The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Wageningen University, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, ETH Zürich, University of Bristol, University of Edinburgh
The CO2MVS Research on Supplementary Observations (CORSO) project will support establishing the new European anthropogenic CO2 emissions Monitoring and Verification Support capacity (CO2MVS), which is being implemented within the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). The CORSO project (grant agreement No101082194) is funded by the European Union. CORSO aims to deliver capabilities at global and local scale to optimally use observations of co-emitted species using their emission ratios and uncertainties to better estimate anthropogenic CO2 emissions and assess the added-value of high-temporal resolution in-situ 14CO2 and APO observations in global and regional scale inversions and of satellite observations of soil moisture, LAI, SIF, and Biomass in the global CO2MVS system to better separate the impact of fossil fuel and biospheric fluxes on the atmospheric CO2 concentrations.
Co-designing Holistic Forest-based Policy Pathways for Climate Change Mitigation (ForestPaths)
European Forest Institute (EFI), Lund University, TU Munich, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, LUKE, Wageningen University, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Öko-Institut, Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, Prospex Institute, Transilvania University of Brasov, Pensoft, Joint Research Centre - European Commission, University of Edinburgh, Teesside University
ForestPaths aims to co-design and evaluate forest-based policy pathways that support EU climate neutrality and biodiversity goals. It focuses on developing climate- and biodiversity-smart forest management strategies, improving models and data for assessing forest impacts, and engaging stakeholders to create actionable policies and tools for sustainable forest governance. ForestPaths receives funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme (ID No 101056755), as well as from the United Kingdom Research and Innovation Council (UKRI).
Forest management effects on forest resilience and carbon sink strength
Lund University
Large natural inter-annual variability in carbon fluxes between forests and the atmosphere make long time series of measurements absolutely crucial for determination of the climate effect of different management systems. The main target of the project is the better understanding and a quantification of the difference in whole ecosystem carbon balance between two types of forest management systems (rotation forestry and selection forestry) in order to assess their carbon sink strengths, carbon storage potentials and resilience.
FOREST VISIONS: envisioning forest management practices for a fossil free society in the face of goal conflicts and uncertainties
Lund University
The forest contribute to human well-being in many ways. To avoid overuse and unintentional ecosystem changes, this multi-functionality has to be addressed when developing forest management strategies and policies. The aim of this transdisciplinary project is to quantify and visualize the contribution of different adaptive management strategies to climate solutions and fulfillment of environmental objectives during the transition towards a fossil-free society.
Investigating Methane for Climate Action IM4CA
Stichting VU, Utrecht University, AGH University of Science and Technology, Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), The Cyprus Institute, European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts, E3-Modelling, Finnish Meteorological Institute, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Incas – National Institute For Aerospace Research “Elie Carafoli”, National Institute of Research and Development for Optoelectronics, Max Planck Society, Stiftelsen NILU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Science Partners, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (Hauge), Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (Hague), University of Bremen, University of Leeds, University of Vienna, Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University
The IM4CA project unites leading European methane experts in a concerted effort to establish the scientific fundament needed to bring the climate forcing of methane under control. Specific objectives are to: 1) Strengthen methane mitigation policy world-wide with actionable information on local methane emissions and key driving processes, 2) Provide the EU with the measurement and modeling capacity needed to monitor its methane emissions and assess its progress towards the 30% emission reduction target of the European methane strategy and the global methane pledge, 3) Explore and understand climate feedbacks on natural methane sources and sinks, and 4) Improve the accuracy of climate scenarios by resolving the controversy about the causes for the recent growth rate variations in global methane.
NextGenCarbon - Next Generation Modelling of Terrestrial Carbon Cycle by assimilation of in-situ campaigns and Earth Observations
SLU, German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ)/GER, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry/GER, University of Florence/IT, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology/GER, CICERO Centre for International Climate Science/NOR, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich/GER, Science Partners, University of Exeter/UK, Climate and Environment Sciences Laboratory (LSCE)/FRA, Leipzig University/GER, WENR, Wageningen University and Research/NL and more
The EU-funded NextGenCarbon project (Next Generation Modelling of Terrestrial Carbon Cycle by assimilation of in situ campaigns and Earth Observations) aims to improve our understanding of Europe's greenhouse gas budget by combining Earth Observation data from remote sensors and incorporating them into different carbon modelling approaches, using machine learning and benefiting from the expertise of 22 European partners.
New Users for a Better ICOS (NUBICOS)
Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS ERIC, lead), Max Planck Society,Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, University of Bergen, University of Antwerp, Flanders Marine Institute, Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University, Heidelberg University, Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (INRAE), NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, National University of Ireland Galway, University of Leicester
New Users for a Better Integrated Carbon Observation System (NUBICOS) is a Horizon Europe project coordinated by ICOS containing 12 beneficiaries.The project has 4 core objectives: (i) Improved data quality and utilisation of data through tighter collaboration with the remote sensing community, thus consolidating the global greenhouse gas observations and European Research Infrastructure landscape. (ii) Improved value generation from observations to climate services through targeted evolution of ICOS. (iii) Increased efficiency of ICOS through strengthened national nodes and improved staff skills. (iv) Integration of ICOS into the global innovation ecosystem of environmental monitoring through intensified cooperation with the WMO framework.
To increase the connection between the ICOS ecosystem network and the Remote Sensing cal/val community a subset of the ICOS stations were introduced with additional sensors to measure variables which are of high interest to this community. NUBICOS is active at Abisko-Stordalen to measure Land Surface Temperature (LST) with highly accurate radiometers and at Hyltemossa with additional reflected below-canopy PAR to measure all relevant terms to precisely calculated the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FPAR).
Optimization of carbon uptake in south Sweden’s spruce forests
Lund University
Understanding the relationship between net ecosystem productivity (NEP) and stand age is essential for identifying when carbon uptake is maximized, which in turn influences the timing of final felling. This knowledge is critical for making informed decisions about forest management strategies that best support national climate goals. The aim of the project is to quantify how NEP varies with the stand age of spruce forests in southern Sweden that are managed under a rotation forestry system. Additionally, the project seeks to quantify net primary production (NPP) for both tree and ground vegetation layers as a function of stand age, and to assess soil respiration in relation to stand age, soil characteristics, and abiotic factors.
Q-Arctic
MPI-Met Hamburg (Germany), MPI-BGC Jena (Germany), Austrian Polar Research Insitute Vienna, b.geos GmbH, Korneuburg (Austria)
Q-Arctic is a ERC synergy project with the goal to simulate Arctic carbon budgets considering the net impact of disturbances at smallest scales. The project embraces four disciplines (in-situ observations at different scales, regional quantifications, remote sensing and earth system modelling) and three scaling levels (local, landscape and pan-Arctic). The project uses the Abisko-Stordalen mire for flux chamber work focusing on nutrients and carbon as well as drone observations of carbon flux patterns.
SLU research group "Boreal biosphere-climate interactions"
The research group around Matthias Peichl's at SLU in Umeå is working on various projects aimed at improving the understanding of biosphere-atmosphere exchanges of carbon and other greenhouse gases. Follow the link to access a list with short project descriptions.
Relating tree water content and satellite SAR data in boreal forests
The project, funded by the National Space Agency, aims to improve monitoring of forest water dynamics using satellite-based microwave remote sensing, particularly synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Tree water content is vital for assessing forest health and climate resilience, but current methods lack spatial and temporal coverage. By combining satellite SAR data with ground-based radar, flux towers, and in-situ sensors at the Svartberget Rsearch Forests, the project develops models to estimate tree water content. It focuses on linking radar signals to forest water status and validating these models using data from Sweden’s well-instrumented experimental forests, ultimately supporting climate adaptation and forest management strategies.
SEAKER-CC: Sea-spray Emissions - Absent Key-processes and Evidences for Responses to Changing Climate
Stockholm University
This VR-funded project improves sea spray (SS) flux measurements using advanced techniques to capture particle size and chemical composition over extended periods in the Barents and Baltic Seas. It investigates how sea temperature, salinity, and surfactants affect SS formation via bubble dynamics, using high-speed imaging. Chemical data collected over two summers will complement long-term flux observations. The combined dataset will refine SS source parameterizations, especially for organic SS in regions with varying primary production, and will be tested in global climate models in collaboration with modeling groups.
The significance of trees to influence the global atmospheric burden and isotope ratio of methane
Lund University
Measurements of naturally occurring stable isotope ratios (13C/12C and 2H/1H for CH4) provide a tool to understand what drives the changes in atmospheric abundance both now and in the past. This project concentrates on exploring the magnitude of isotopic fractionation of the forest sink while also gathering further flux data through a year-long measurement campaign at an established carbon monitoring observatory in Sweden.
The fate of mercury in thawing permafrost
SLU, Dept. of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Uppsala
Mercury has accumulated in permafrost since the last ice age, forming a major pollution sink. As permafrost thaws, this sink becomes unstable, potentially releasing mercury back into the atmosphere at levels exceeding current industrial emissions. The extent of this re-emission depends on complex and poorly understood chemical and biological interactions. The VR-funded research project at the Abisko-Stordalen mire will investigate these processes through ecosystem-scale measurements, analysis of microbial and geochemical drivers, and development of predictive indicators for mercury release from thawing permafrost globally.
WiSdoM - Water stress in Swedish forests: identifying risk areas to target management action
Lund University, SMHI, Stockholm University, MERGE
WiSdoM aims to develop a decision-support system to identify when and where Swedish forests are most vulnerable to water stress. The project will integrate and enhance a process-based forest ecosystem model with advanced tree water stress responses, generate a unique observational dataset on water stress impacts in Swedish forests to calibrate and validate the model adapt the model for operational use in Sweden through collaboration with industry and regulatory stakeholders and produce vulnerability maps and management strategies to support targeted, cost-effective forest interventions.