Trees4Future is a research infrastructure that aims to (1) provide access to forestry research facilities, (2) develop new tools and improve data management services, and (3) encourage collaboration among scientists. It integrates 25 research institutions across 13 European countries and offers funding for researchers to access facilities. The project, which runs from 2011-2015 with a budget of over 9 million euros, seeks to support forestry research on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

1. Trees4Future: designing trees for the
future

2. A research infrastructure for forestry research
A place to:
• Structure and integrate research facilities
• Innovate
• Support research projects
• Provide a stable framework for research at
European level

3. Objectives
• Provide and facilitate access to key
forestry research resources
• Develop new tools and improve
services for researchers
• Encourage synergies among scientists
from various disciplines
• Facilitate their cooperation through
standardisation
• Integrate the facilities and resources
on a long-term basis
Image: Metla

4. Scientific aims
Image: Inga Nielsen / www.fotolia.com
“Improve services for researchers working on sustained and multifunctional
production of goods and services as well as climate change adaptation and
mitigation strategies, and preservation of
biodiversity in industrial forests...”

5. Scientific vision
Image: Victor Zastol'skiy / www.fotolia.com
• Integrate, develop and improve • No targeted species, but
multidisciplinary and multiscale priority on cultivated forests
resources in the context of
forestry science • Focus on adaptive traits, wood
• Use genetics and breeding as a production traits
guiding line – but through generic
enough activities

6. Scientific rationale
Project organised around three main concerns in forestry research
Obtain data-sets Manage data-sets Explore data-sets
Experimentation Archive Data analysis
High-throughput Exchange of data Modelling
phenotyping
Standardisation
Traceability

7. How do we do this?

8. Objective 1: Access
Provide and manage access to a broad
range of research facilities and services
25 research infrastructures
• Genetic databases and libraries
• Large scale modelling tools
• Molecular genetics labs
• Ecophysiology labs
• Wood technology labs
• Collections

9. Call for Transnational Access
Opened in June 2012!
Offers help with travel and
subsistence costs
Visit www.trees4future.eu
for more information about
individual facilities
Online application
A total budget of 1.5 million
euros available
Images: AIT / Forest Research

10. Objective 2: Networking
Image: Vladimir Melnikov / www.fotolia.com
Aims: Spread good practice, promote common protocols and
interoperability, encourage complementarity
• Unique web portal for genetic • Create key thematic research networks
databases
• Common standards for tree • Dissemination, outreach, training
assessment/lab protocols

11. Objective 3: Research
Aims: improve and develop the services provided
by the infrastructures
• Explore new technology /
techniques
• Enhance and improve existing
models and tools
Images: Alterra / Forest Research

12. Research
Image: AIT
• Integrated statistical platform for analysing forest genetic resources
• Development of a platform for fingerprinting and traceability
• Spatial modelling of breeding regions and future site suitability matching
• Clearing house with GIS functionality for forestry research data
• Developing modes of compatibility for modelling tools
• Improvement of medium/high throughput phenotyping of traits

13. About Trees4Future
• 28 partners from 13 countries
• 4 year project (2011-2015)
• Budget approx 9.06 million euros
(EC contribution 7 million euros)
• Funded by EU 7th Framework
Programme (FP7)
Image: INRA

14. More information
www.trees4future.eu
• Coordinator: Dr. Luc E. Pâques, INRA
• Vice-Coordinator: Dr. Gert-Jan
Nabuurs, European Forest Institute
• Project Manager: Dr. Lavanya
Premvardhan,INRA Transfert
info@trees4future.eu
Image: Adrian Sumner /www.fotolia.com