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Dresden Declaration

Forest monitoring under the ICP Forests is essential for a science-based forest- and environmental policy and needs continued support

We, the community of scientists, forest managers and national delegates that participate in, contribute to, and make use of, ICP Forests data and infrastructures met in Dresden 19-23 May, to celebrate 40 years of harmonized international forest monitoring in the UNECE region. We discussed the results obtained, the current situation and explored future directions and possible developments of forest monitoring.

Here we summarize into five key messages a science-based view on the importance of maintaining, supporting and further developing international forest monitoring in Europe.

 

Message 1. Long-term, internationally harmonized ground-based forest monitoring remains essential for science-based policy-making. 

Policy and decision makers should be aware that

  • Monitoring helps with protecting European forests and their immense value, and inform forests and environmental policy. 

  • When compared to the value of the resources it protects and the policy it informs, monitoring costs are negligible. 

 

Message 2. In its 40 years of activity, ICP Forests demonstrates that harmonized international forest monitoring is necessary and feasible. 

ICP Forests has been successful in

  • Establishing a pan-European, quality-assured forest monitoring system capable of providing long-term data across regions, forest types, and environmental gradients.

  • Developing internationally harmonized methodologies, a network of expertise and a governance structure that enables a participative decision-making process.

  • Identifying changes in, and drivers of, forest health, growth and biodiversity, as well as status and changes in ecosystem chemistry (atmosphere, deposition, tree nutrition, soil and soil solution) and climate. 

  • Demonstrating and documenting the success of clean air policy as well as the onset of new stress factors for European forests.

  • Contributing to international policy processes (such as the Air Convention and Forest Europe) and research initiatives (Horizon Europe).

  • Favouring national, international, regional and global research on key forest components, processes, dynamics, and ecosystem services.

 

Message 3. ICP Forests is an indispensable partner for any future pan-European forest monitoring system. 

ICP Forests provides a unique

  • Ready-to-use pan-European monitoring system operated by the participating 42 Countries according to harmonized methodologies.

  • Framework for key indicators and drivers of forest resilience, combining continental spatial coverage, tailored frequency of measurements for a large portfolio of attributes, and the long-term dimension. 

  • Ground truthing infrastructure for calibrating and validating remotely sensed forest data, and for building, calibrating and validating models.

 

Message 4. Building on its success, ICP Forests is committed to continued evolution. 

It will evolve by

  • Maintaining its relevance to policy, science and society.

  • Fostering its collaborations (countries, organization, bodies) and broadening its geographical scope.

  • Expanding its thematic scope (climate change, biodiversity), its data portfolio, its methods and its linkages with proximal and remote sensing products.

 

Message 5. Securing the future of ICP Forests is strategic for protecting European forests– action needed.

After the early successful co-operation with the European Commission, ICP Forests monitoring is now maintained by the participating countries. In front of its unique international added value, the benefits it generates and the need to ensure its continuation, with this declaration:

We urge all stakeholders from policy, science and society to 

  • Actively recognize the value and the role of ICP Forests and the benefit derived from its unique long-term, large-scale data, information and harmonized methodologies.

  • Ensure continued support for the maintenance and further development of ICP Forests monitoring activity. 

We therefore ask

  • International organizations (such as the UNECE Air Convention, the European Commission): to develop mechanisms and agreements for supporting the ICP Forests monitoring activities in the participating countries and their co-ordination. 

  • National organizations (such as ministries and research organizations): to secure support for the continuation and further development of the ICP Forests monitoring activity.

     

Prepared in Dresden, Germany, 19-23.05.2025

First signatories

Marco Ferretti, Switzerland, chair of ICP Forests
Kai Schwärzel, Germany, head of Programme Co-ordination Center of ICP Forests 
Lars Vesterdal, Denmark, chair of the Scientific Committee of ICP Forests 
Marcus Schaub, Switzerland, co-chair of the Scientific Committee of ICP Forests 
Anna Kowalska, Poland, chair of the ICP Forests Working Group on Quality Assurance & Quality Control in Laboratories 
Tamara Jakovljević, Croatia, co-chair of the ICP Forests Working Group on Quality Assurance & Quality Control in Laboratories 
Nenad Potočić, Croatia, chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Crown Condition & Damage Causes
Volkmar Timmermann, Norway, co-chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Crown Condition & Damage Causes
Bruno De Vos, Belgium, chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Soil & Soil Solution 
Nathalie Cools, Belgium, co-chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Soil & Soil Solution 
Katrin Meusburger, Switzerland, co-chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Soil & Soil Solution 
Tanja Sanders, Germany, chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Forest Growth 
Arne Verstraeten, Belgium, chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Deposition 
Peter Waldner, Switzerland, chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Deposition
Pasi Rautio, Finland, chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Foliage & Litterfall 
Liisa Ukonmaanaho, Finland, co-chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Foliage & Litterfall 
Diana Pitar, Romania, chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Ambient Air Quality & Ozone Injury 
Barbara Moura, Italy, co-chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Ambient Air Quality & Ozone Injury 
Lothar Zimmermann, Germany, chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Meteorology, Phenology & LAI
Stefan Fleck, Germany, co-chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Meteorology, Phenology & LAI
František Máliš, Slovenia, co-chair of the ICP Forests Expert Panel on Biodiversity & Ground Vegetation
Katrin Haggenmüller, Germany, Programme Co-ordinating Centre of ICP Forests
Till Kirchner, Germany, Programme Co-ordinating Centre of ICP Forests
Alexa Michel, Germany, Programme Co-ordinating Centre of ICP Forests
Anne-Katrin Prescher, Germany, Programme Co-ordinating Centre of ICP Forests
Tim Schütt, Germany, Programme Co-ordinating Centre of ICP Forests
Maximilian Strer, Germany, Programme Co-ordinating Centre of ICP Forests
Lena Wohlgemuth, Germany, Programme Co-ordinating Centre of ICP Forests
 

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Comments (48)

  • Nicholas Clarke
    Nicholas Clarke
    at 02.09.2025
    +11 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Signed
  • Mauro Valdir Schumacher
    Mauro Valdir Schumacher
    at 05.09.2025
    -10 Upvote Downvote Reply
    I fully agree with the Dresden Declaration
  • Jerguš Rybár
    Jerguš Rybár
    at 07.09.2025
    +28 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Researcher, National Forest Centre (NFC), T.G. Masaryka 22, 96001 Zvolen, Slovakia - signed
  • Andreas Bolte, Germany
    Andreas Bolte, Germany
    at 09.09.2025
    -10 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Head of the Thünen Institute of Forest Ecosystems
    Signed
  • Povilas Žemaitis
    Povilas Žemaitis
    at 09.09.2025
    -11 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry
  • Päivi Merilä
    Päivi Merilä
    at 09.09.2025
    -1 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Signed.
  • Tomáš Čihák, Czech Republic
    Tomáš Čihák, Czech Republic
    at 09.09.2025
    -9 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Researcher, Department of Forest Ecology, Forestry and Game Management Research Institut, signed
  • Carl Frisk
    Carl Frisk
    at 09.09.2025
    -8 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO)
  • Claudia Guidi
    Claudia Guidi
    at 09.09.2025
    -25 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Scientist, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
  • Patricia Adame
    Patricia Adame
    at 09.09.2025
    -22 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Researcher assistant, Institute of Forest Sciences (ICIFOR, INIA, CSIC). Crta. de la Coruña km 7.5, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
  • Bernhard Schuldt
    Bernhard Schuldt
    at 09.09.2025
    -17 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Chair of Forest Botany, TU Dresden
  • Filippo Bussotti
    Filippo Bussotti
    at 09.09.2025
    +4 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Signed - I fully agree with the Dresden declaration
  • Richard Fischer
    Richard Fischer
    at 09.09.2025
    -10 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Senior Scientist Forest Governance, Thünen Institute of Forestry, Hamburg
    "signed"
  • Serban Chivulescu
    Serban Chivulescu
    at 09.09.2025
    -10 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Researcher, INCDS Marin Dracea
  • Inken Krüger
    Inken Krüger
    at 09.09.2025
    -3 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Thünen Institute of Forest Ecosystems
  • Ihor Buksha
    Ihor Buksha
    at 09.09.2025
    -27 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Head of Inventory, Monitoring, Certification and Forest Management Planning Department,

    Laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of science and technology,

    Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration named after Vysotsky G. M. (URIFFM)
    Grygoriya Skovorody str., 86, Kharkiv 61024, Ukraine
  • Markus Geupel
    Markus Geupel
    at 09.09.2025
    +27 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Coordination Center for Effects
  • Theodor Alpermann
    Theodor Alpermann
    at 09.09.2025
    +17 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Nordwestdeutsche Forstliche Versuchsanstalt
    Head of the Lab
  • Tanja Sanders, Germany
    Tanja Sanders, Germany
    at 09.09.2025
    -19 Upvote Downvote Reply
    I hereby support the Dresden Declaration
  • Thilo Heinecke, PLECO Universiteit Antwerpen
    Thilo Heinecke, PLECO Universiteit Antwerpen
    at 09.09.2025
    -6 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Signed
  • Laura Wachtveitl, Germany
    Laura Wachtveitl, Germany
    at 09.09.2025
    +16 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Bavarian State Institute of Forestry
  • Vladislav Apuhtin
    Vladislav Apuhtin
    at 09.09.2025
    +3 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Estonian Environment Agency
  • Monika Vejpustková
    Monika Vejpustková
    at 09.09.2025
    -16 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Strnady, Czech Republic
  • Gabriele Giuseppe Antonio Satta
    Gabriele Giuseppe Antonio Satta
    at 09.09.2025
    +12 Upvote Downvote Reply
    University of Sassari
  • Tiina Nieminen
    Tiina Nieminen
    at 09.09.2025
    -4 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Signed
  • Morten Ingerslev
    Morten Ingerslev
    at 09.09.2025
    +12 Upvote Downvote Reply
    NFC, Denmark signed
  • Peter Waldner
    Peter Waldner
    at 09.09.2025
    -4 Upvote Downvote Reply
    signed
  • Héctor García Gómez, Spain
    Héctor García Gómez, Spain
    at 10.09.2025
    -6 Upvote Downvote Reply
    I hereby support the Dresden Declaration.
    Tenured Researcher, CIEMAT, Spain
  • Anna Kowalska, Poland
    Anna Kowalska, Poland
    at 10.09.2025
    -13 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Forest Research Institute in Sekocin Stary, Poland.
    Signed.
  • András Szabó
    András Szabó
    at 10.09.2025
    0 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Forest Research Institute, University of Sorpon, Hungary
  • Nikolai Knapp
    Nikolai Knapp
    at 10.09.2025
    -12 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Thünen Institute of Forest Ecosystems, Germany
  • Iva Hunova
    Iva Hunova
    at 10.09.2025
    +2 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Ambient Air Quality Department, Prague, Czech Republic, signed
  • Orsolya Szabó
    Orsolya Szabó
    at 10.09.2025
    -4 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Forest Research Institute, University of Sorpon, Hungary
  • Goran Češljar
    Goran Češljar
    at 11.09.2025
    +19 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Signed
  • Cosmin Ilie Cuciurean
    Cosmin Ilie Cuciurean
    at 11.09.2025
    -15 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Researcher, National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry ,,Marin Dracea”, Voluntari, Romania
  • Giada Bertini
    Giada Bertini
    at 12.09.2025
    +13 Upvote Downvote Reply
    I fully agree with the declaration. Thank you
  • Giada Lazzerini
    Giada Lazzerini
    at 12.09.2025
    +7 Upvote Downvote Reply
    I fully agree with the Dresden Declaration.
    Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA). Research Centre for Forestry and Wood.
  • Evi Korakaki
    Evi Korakaki
    at 12.09.2025
    -4 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Dr. Evi Korakaki, NFC ICP Forests Greece
  • Dr. Walter Seidling
    Dr. Walter Seidling
    at 12.09.2025
    +18 Upvote Downvote Reply
    signed
  • Janna Wambsganß
    Janna Wambsganß
    at 15.09.2025
    -20 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Research Institute for Forest Ecology and Forestry
  • Andrei Popa
    Andrei Popa
    at 15.09.2025
    -2 Upvote Downvote Reply
    National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry “Marin Drăcea” Romania
  • Uldis Zvirbulis
    Uldis Zvirbulis
    at 16.09.2025
    -15 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava", NFC
    Signed
  • Sigrid Strich
    Sigrid Strich
    at 17.09.2025
    -12 Upvote Downvote Reply
    signed
  • Kerstin Näthe
    Kerstin Näthe
    at 19.09.2025
    +1 Upvote Downvote Reply
    signed
  • Zoran Galić
    Zoran Galić
    3 weeks ago
    +1 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Signed
  • Ljubinko Rakonjac
    Ljubinko Rakonjac
    3 weeks ago
    -15 Upvote Downvote Reply
    NFC Serbia, Institute of forestry, Belgrade
  • Rossella Guerrieri, Italy
    Rossella Guerrieri, Italy
    2 weeks ago
    -2 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Associate professor at the University of Bologna, Chair of the CLEANFOREST COST Action
  • Carmen Iacoban, Romania
    Carmen Iacoban, Romania
    1 week ago
    0 Upvote Downvote Reply
    Signed
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