Vast majority of forestry research on innovations is based on case studies, which makes it difficult to ascertain their distribution across Europe. The relation between innovating activity and the forest within which it takes place is also an under-explored research area. In this study, we address these problems by combining survey data, spatially explicit datasets and machine learning to devise geographical probability distribution of innovation development across Europe. We differentiate between innovations focused on provision of wood and those which focus on biodiversity protection, carbon storage and forest recreation. We also show that most of the variability in the data depicting innovation development can be explained by place-based variables, such as the amount of tree biomass in the forest, tree species composition, nature protection status, terrain ruggedness and road density. Results suggest the need to further explore the role of ‘place-based’ contextual variables in innovation development and highlight various issues that different policies might face when aiming to modify forest management practices in Europe.

Understanding national wood flows is essential for assessing the sustainability and efficiency of a forest-based bioeconomy, as well as evaluating its possible impacts on decarbonization processes. This study develops a comprehensive material flow analysis model for Italy’s forest-wood sector in 2018 using the Italian Lumber Exchange (ILEX) model, by integrating a wide range of data from secondary sources (national and international official statistics) and some primary sources of information. A system dynamics approach is applied to harmonize upstream and downstream flows, quantify hidden flows, and convert economic values into physical ones. The model extends the mapping of wood flow to include emerging sectors, such as green chemistry, and post-consumer product recycling. It also estimates bioenergy consumption and the removals of fuelwood associated with that. The results of the model show that the total removals of Italian forests in 2018 amounted to 17.26 million m3, of which approximately 87.1

Il crescente interesse verso i prodotti forestali, in particolare il legno quale materia prima rinnovabile e a basso impatto ambientale, rappresenta un’opportunità strategica per il sistema forestale italiano. Tale dinamica si inserisce nel quadro degli obiettivi nazionali ed europei di decarbonizzazione e sviluppo della bioeconomia circolare. Il presente contributo sintetizza i principali elementi emersi in un recente confronto scientifico-istituzionale sul tema, analizzando criticità strutturali, trasformazioni dei mercati, vincoli normativi e opportunità di valorizzazione delle filiere del legno nazionali. L’analisi evidenzia la necessità di una pianificazione forestale integrata, di un rafforzamento delle strutture produttive e di una modernizzazione dei sistemi informativi e normativi, al fine di incrementare in modo sostenibile l’approvvigionamento interno e valorizzare la multifunzionalità dei boschi e delle piantagioni da legno in Italia.

The European Union (EU) vegetable oils market embodies global environmental impacts. The EU Regulation on deforestation-free products, which aims to halt deforestation embodied in commodity supply chains, underscores the need to assess the relative ecological consequences of different oil crop alternatives. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study evaluates conservation trade-offs associated with soybeans, oil palm fruit, rapeseed, and sunflower seed production across biodiversity, carbon, and water in 42 supplier countries to the EU-27 market. Between 2000 and 2020, the EU-27, representing about 6% of the global population, accounted for an average of 15% of the global agricultural land use dedicated to the selected crops. Although impacts varied substantially across countries and crops, oil palm plantations, despite their comparatively low land footprint per unit of oil, are largely located in areas of high conservation priority relative to alternative crops. Our analysis further suggests that Thailand, Great Britain, the United States of America, and Hungary might represent the most environmentally friendly sourcing options for oil palm fruit, rapeseed, soybeans, and sunflower seed respectively. These findings highlight the importance of identifying a diversified and ecologically informed sourcing basket (i.e., portfolio) of products to support EU policy development on sustainable sourcing and minimize unintended environmental trade-offs beyond deforestation and impacts on forest ecosystems.

Over the past century, large areas of agricultural land across Europe have been abandoned, often transitioning to forests. This study examines the relationships between climatic, socio-economic, and landscape variables and forest expansion by the invasive non-native black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and native tree species in the Italian municipalities. Forest expansion was assessed by comparing a digitised 1936 forest type map with more recent forest maps (1999-2017), reclassified into black locust, native forests, and non-forested land. We modelled the probability and extent of forest expansion, accounting for non-linear relationships and non-Gaussian distributions. Expansion by native trees and black locust shows both similarities and differences. For black locust, spatial patterns and landscape diversity are strongly linked to both the probability of establishment and subsequent expansion. In contrast, expansion by native trees is primarily linked to landscape diversity, temperature, and rainfall, while spatial patterns are more relevant after expansion begins. Farm size is also associated with these dynamics: native tree expansion decreases with farm size but increases beyond 20 ha, whereas black locust expansion consistently declines as farm size grows. Mean individual income does not appear to influence either process. This study shows that native and invasive trees respond differently to landscape structure, spatial context, and farm size, while economic variables such as income play a minor role. These contrasting patterns support the use of the municipal scale to interpret forest change and to inform spatial planning aimed at distinguishing areas of natural recovery from those susceptible to invasion.

Despite the increasing attention towards the socioeconomic role of wild forest products (WFPs) - also known as non-wood forest products (NWFPs) - their function as cultural service has yet to receive a comprehensive quantification. This, at least partially, is due to the attention given to WFPs as provisioning services, and their commercial values in the rural economy. In this study, we combined for the first time the economic evaluation of forest ecosystem services with a Social Accounting Matrix methodology to analyse the social component of WFPs in three European countries, namely Czechia, Italy, and Sweden. We estimated that WFPs have a direct effect on transport services, as well as food and accommodation services. At the same time, we estimated the value of household wellbeing via non-market valuation. Overall, our results highlight the value that cultural services linked to WFPs add to European bioeconomy. A better understanding of the complete range of available resources offered by forests can inform future policy decisions aimed at enhancing the socioeconomic benefits for societies while sustainably managing forest ecosystems.

Forests supply multiple ecosystem services, categorized into provisioning (e.g. wood), regulating (e.g. climate change mitigation, biodiversity protection) and cultural (e.g. recreation) services. While European policies have set the target for forest management to supply multiple ecosystem services, the literature emphasises that regulating and cultural ecosystem services tend to be undersupplied, as most management incentives focus on provisioning services.We conducted a pan-European survey of forest owners and managers on sources of forest income and extrapolated the results with spatially referenced data and machine learning.We gathered relative income and profitability levels derived from supplying different groups of forest ecosystem services per forest plot. We show that approximately eighty percent of forest income is currently linked to provisioning services. Supplying regulating and cultural services is rarely perceived as profitable. We then identified two clusters of European forest owners and managers. The first, managing predominantly conifer-dominated forests in thinly populated areas of Northern and Eastern Europe, derives nearly all its forest income from wood production. The second, managing forests characterized by broadleaved species, proximity to cities, and with a higher share being designated as Natura 2000, dominates in Western and Southern Europe. In this second cluster, about one-third of forest income comes from regulating and cultural ecosystem services, but at low profitability. We conclude by arguing that recognizing both this spatial divide across Europe and the gap between forest owners’ economic incentives to provide preliminary provisioning ecosystem services, and societal demand emphasising regulating and cultural ecosystem services, is key for designing customized, effective policies for multiple forest ecosystem services.

Understanding national wood flows is essential for assessing the sustainability and efficiency of a forest-based bioeconomy, as well as evaluating its possible impacts on decarbonization processes. This study develops a comprehensive material flow analysis model for Italy’s forest-wood sector in 2018, by integrating a wide range of official statistics, trade data, and sector-specific knowledge. A system dynamics approach is applied to harmonize upstream and downstream flows, quantify hidden flows, and convert economic values into physical ones. The model extends the mapping of wood flow to include final downstream uses, trade in the consumption stage, and emerging sectors such as green chemistry. It also estimates bioenergy consumption and the removals of fuelwood associated with that. The results of the model show that the total removals of Italian forests in 2018 amounted to 17.26 million m 3 , of which approximately 87% consisted of fuelwood. Nearly 90% of domestic supply of sawnwood, veneer, and plywood depends on imported wood either directly through the import of these products and indirectly through the import of industrial roundwood used as raw material for their production, whereas the panel sector utilizes 67% recycled wood and the paper sector relies on 57% recycled paper. To our best knowledge, this work provides the first complete and operational representation of Italy’s forest-wood value chain and could serve as a decision-support tool for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to enhance climate and resource-use policy in the wood sector.

This study employed a comprehensive methodology to investigate the role of water utilities in the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) for water management such as Sustainable Drainage Systems. The methodological approach involved analyzing the Urban Nature Atlas database to evaluate European funding sources and stakeholders associated with NBSs for water management in Europe. Focusing on the Italian context, the study then conducted semi-structured interviews with Italian experts and mapped exemplary cases where Italian water utilities actively participated in NBS implementation efforts. The results provide insights into the factors hindering and driving NBS development by water utilities in Italy. Using an SWOT analysis, the study proposes five distinct roles that water utilities could potentially adopt to advance NBS. The article offers valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and water utility stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration to secure financing for NBSs.

Forests contribute to human well-being by offering various ecosystem services (ES), including wild food and other products. While previous studies have typically focused on formally marketed wild foods, there is a growing need to understand the broader significance of wild foods as cultural ES and the factors influencing societal preferences for their supply and maintenance. We conducted a study in Italy, a country with a rich cultural heritage associated with wild food, using data from a discrete choice experiment to analyse how people value wild food (specifically, mushrooms, wild berries and wild herbs) and map their preferences. Our findings revealed respondents' willingness to allocate resources to forest programmes that increase and conserve wild foods, indicating their high-perceived value as ES. We found that regional traditions are a key motivation for collecting wild food, and that respondents typically collect within their regions. The results highlight the importance of integrating regional spatial dynamics to comprehensively understand societal preferences for ES, particularly in the context of local food systems.Read the free for this article on the Journal blog.

This paper investigates associative organisational models as a potential governance solution to the issue of land abandonment. Land fragmentation, along with inadequate or absent management, are key problems that hinder forest stability and resilience in many countries, particularly in Southern Europe. Land abandonment further exacerbates these issues, increasing climate change-related risks, such as forest fires. After reviewing the broader European context, the paper focuses on Italy, where this problem is particularly acute. Based on a qualitative content analysis of the literature and policy documents, the paper outlines the available solutions for promoting active forest management through associations, as outlined by Italian forest law. Several types of associative models exist, facilitated by recent policy initiatives, including forest consortia, forest associations and cooperatives, and various instruments for regulating partnerships and associative management. However, limited data on land abandonment and forest ownership, especially regarding private ownership, hampers effective implementation and monitoring, highlighting a significant research gap in this area.

Forests are unique ecosystems that offer a vast array of ecosystem services, including non-wood forest products (NWFPs)—also known as wild forest products—that contribute to the wellbeing of societies worldwide [...]

The use of timber in the construction sector plays two fundamental roles, both “downstream” and “upstream” of industrial wood processing. Downstream, the construction sector is responsible for 37% of global emissions, and the expansion of timber construction is rightly considered strategic as part of a decarbonization process, where the need to replace high-emission materials represents a competitive advantage for biomass products. It also enhances the quality of living spaces, as highlighted in the New European Bauhaus initiative. Upstream, the construction sector is privileged and therefore essential for providing an outlet for “Closer-to-Nature” forest management: without a market for high-quality timber from sustainably managed forests, the incentives for long-rotation seminatural forest management diminish. This second motivation is well recognised in the public procurement policies of many advanced countries and in those that promote the construction sector. These two roles are of fundamental importance but often neglected in Italian policies aimed at adding value to mountain forests.

Material Flow Analysis (MFA) is a key tool in the circular bioeconomy, providing insight into the flow of materials within a system. Its use in the wood-based value chain is increasingly recognized and provides valuable information for policy making. However, to the best of our knowledge, this topic has never been systematically reviewed. To fill this gap, this study developed a systematic literature review of MFA research in the wood-based value chain. Peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2024 were identified via databases such as Scopus and Google Scholar and analyzed in detail to identify and deepen different approaches to MFA with reference to its conceptualization, scope, and methodological implementation. Based on our review we categorized various MFA models based on their scale and scope, revealing significant diversity in methodological terms and data requirements. The results emphasize the existing MFA approaches often face limitations due to inconsistent data quality and lack of detailed product-level analyses. This research provides practical insights on improving data collection methods, such as standardizing input datasets and incorporating economic and social indicators, to enhance the reliability of MFA studies. It also provides guidelines for implementing MFA models aligned with circular economy principles, integrating both traditional and emerging wood products streams. These insights offer valuable directions for future research aimed at more accurately capturing the complexities of wood flows, promoting better resource management, and supporting policy formulation in the bioeconomy sector. The findings of this review underscore the importance of adopting holistic and integrated methodologies that incorporate new bio-based materials and circular economy principles, ensuring that MFA continues to be an effective tool for advancing sustainable resource management in the forest sector.

The Mediterranean Basin is severely impacted by anthropogenic changes affecting both natural ecosystems and human livelihoods. The region is highly vulnerable to natural hazards, with floods being considered the most important, due both to their frequency and impacts. Koiliaris watershed (northwest of Crete Island, Greece) represents a relevant case study as past land-use changes via deforestation and intense cultivation practices induce soil organic matter losses, making soils susceptible to water erosion and desertification. The restoration of native riparian forests has been identified as the most effective nature-based solution (NBS) for the area. Through modeling, our study assessed the effectiveness of this NBS in addressing flood risk and erosion while providing additional ecosystem services (carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation). A cost–benefit analysis has been then implemented to also investigate the sustainability of the investment from an economic point of view. Our results show the NBS would be successful in ensuring a better flow of targeted ecosystem services compared to the business-as-usual conditions. The associated investment would result in economic sustainability and associated costs would be paid back in five years. Though site-specific, our study provides lessons learned for dealing with future land-restoration challenges in the Mediterranean to cope with climate change-related challenges.

This paper investigates timber legality issues in the Western Balkans by examining the transposition of national policy frameworks in five Western Balkan countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, and the Republic of Srpska, BH) with the European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR) requirements. The study uses a multiple-embedded case study design to investigate national policies and regulations on preventing and tackling illegal logging and those dealing with the trade in timber and timber products. A qualitative content analysis of retrieved documents was conducted to check the extent to which EUTR requirements are covered. Interviews with 36 key actors across selected countries were conducted to analyse their perceptions of the EUTR and the recently approved European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), focusing on awareness, transparency, information flow, resources, and challenges of ensuring timber legality. The study also distinguished institutional and actor-oriented factors influencing the transposition of EUTR and forthcoming EUDR requirements into national policies and forest management practices. The contribution offers a comparative gap analysis of EU requirements' incorporation within targeted countries' national policy frameworks and an overview of common and opposing perceptions on timber legality and legitimate forestry practices among key stakeholders in five Western Balkan countries.

Nature-based Solutions (NBS) are increasingly recognized as relevant strategies for mitigating the pressures coming from urbanization and climate change to build resilient and sustainable cities. However, securing financing for urban NBS is a persistent barrier for their widespread implementation. Therefore, understanding how to realize (co-)finance by attracting resources from specific stakeholders – namely those that benefit from NBS - is essential to their expansion. While the need for NBS co-finance has been acknowledged, this funder's perspective on NBS has remained largely conceptual, which is what we address in this paper. Through a systematic review of the scientific literature this study identifies barriers and corresponding strategies for financing urban NBS from a funder's-oriented perspective. Knowledge sharing, fostering of innovative and alternative financing models and collaboration, also for co-financing models, are among the most cited strategies to leverage other financial resources for NBS implementation and overcoming the budget shortfalls generally affecting public actors. We conclude by proposing future research avenues. Particularly, the role of specific classes of stakeholders, namely corporations, insurance sector, real estate and water utilities, should be deeply investigated since their contributions could be relevant for the upscaling of NBS.