The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) has officially informed the IN-SYLVA Europe coordination team of the successful evaluation of the proposal and its subsequent inclusion in the ESFRI Roadmap 2026. This recognition underscores both the scientific excellence and the strategic importance of establishing Europe’s first research infrastructure dedicated to experimental research on the adaptation of forest ecosystems to climate change.
IN-SYLVA Europe brings together the currently fragmented network of European experimental forest sites, analytical platforms, and modelling capacities into a coordinated research infrastructure. Its mission is to develop science-based solutions that support the adaptation of forest ecosystems to drought, heatwaves, disturbances, pests, and evolving management challenges. The infrastructure is built on integrating Genetics × Environment × Management (G×E×M) factors through long-term experimental networks spanning Europe’s major forest ecosystems.
Czech partners will contribute long-term experimental forest sites, state-of-the-art analytical facilities, advanced modelling tools, and educational programmes, thereby strengthening all four IN-SYLVA service pillars: In situ, In lab, In silico, and In edu.
“The inclusion of IN-SYLVA Europe in the ESFRI Roadmap represents a historic achievement for European forest science,” said Assoc. Prof. Boris Rewald, coordinator of Czech activities within IN-SYLVA Europe. “Europe urgently needs experimentally validated knowledge on which forest management approaches can sustain the long-term productivity, biodiversity, and resilience of forest ecosystems under changing climatic conditions. Through IN-SYLVA Europe, we will transform scientific expertise into evidence-based solutions, practical recommendations, and decision-support tools that help forest owners, managers, and policymakers accelerate the transition towards climate-smart, diverse, and resilient forests.”
For FFWT MENDELU, participation in IN-SYLVA Europe builds on long-term investments in international collaboration and research infrastructure, including the EXCELLENTIA project, which strengthened expertise in root ecology, mycorrhizal interactions, and forest ecosystem adaptation to global change. Combined with the experimental forest sites of UFE Křtiny, state-of-the-art laboratories, and internationally recognised scientific expertise, these capacities enable the university to contribute to developing integrated solutions for climate-smart forestry and the sustainable use of renewable wood resources.
The Czech contribution is coordinated through the emerging CZ-IN-SYLVA Consortium, which brings together leading organisations active in forest and landscape research. The principal partners are the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno (FFWT MENDELU), the University Enterprise Masaryk Forest in Křtiny, (UFE Křtiny), the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (FFWS CZU), the Forestry and Game Management Research Institute (FGMRI), and the Landscape Research Institute (LRI).
Beyond research, Czech partners will play a significant role within the In Edu pillar by delivering international education, professional training, and knowledge transfer activities. These efforts accelerate the adoption of of cutting-edge scientific knowledge into forestry practice in the Czech Republic and across Europe.
Following its inclusion in the ESFRI Roadmap 2026, IN-SYLVA Europe is entering its preparatory phase, during which participating countries will establish the legal, organisational, and financial framework required for the future research infrastructure. Czech partners will contribute to strengthening national capacities and developing the Czech CZ-IN-SYLVA node, ensuring that Czech experimental forests and research facilities become an integral part of Europe’s long-term research infrastructure dedicated to understanding and supporting forest adaptation to climate change.
Contacts for further information: Assoc. Prof. Dipl. Biol. Dr. rer. nat. Boris Rewald, Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, boris.rewald@mendelu.cz
Ing. Pavlína Pancová Šimková, Ph.D., Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, pavlina.simkova@mendelu.cz