EUFODOS

EUFODOS - Improved Information on Forest Structure and Damages is a joint research and development project of 8 research institutes, companies and universities as well as 7 users from 6 European countries.

Within the framework of the three-year project duration of EUFODOS (2011–2013), Down Stream Services are to be developed for an effective determination of forest damage and for an operational derivation of forest parameters. The project is funded in the 7th Research Framework Program of the European Union under the program line SPA.2010.1.1-01 - Stimulating the Development of Downstream GMES Services .

Problem outline and project goals

Europe's forests play an important role both in terms of economy and in maintaining high environmental standards. This importance is secured both by the ecological and economic performance of the forest, which has recently been exposed to numerous stresses. Insect infestation, forest fires, heavy snowfalls and wind throws have a negative impact on the forest. Local or regional authorities need to react quickly to these events. You therefore need quick and accurate information to determine the extent of the damage. With this information they are able to take the appropriate countermeasures and to ensure efficient and sustainable forest management within the scope of their planning activities. For this purpose, remote sensing-based technologies based on the current state of science are used in the EUFODOS project. The satellite and laser scan data used enable cost-effective, timely and comprehensive data acquisition to identify possible damage or to derive forest structures.

The European Earth observation program Copernicus (formerly called GMES) provides research funds and data for the development of services in various environmentally relevant areas, including in the areas of climate change and security, with the availability of data being fully tailored to user requirements.

The goals are the development of services for an effective determination of forest damage and an operational derivation of forest parameters based on Copernicus / GMES-Land / Forest-Core-Products.

Consortium, users and user community

The EUFODOS consortium consists of commercial service providers and research organizations from Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany and Italy:

• Joanneum Research (JR), Austria, project coordinator
• GAF AG, Germany
• Technical Research Center of Finland ( VTT ), Finland
• Department of Remote Sensing and Landscape Information Systems (FeLis), Faculty of Forest Science at the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, Germany
• RapidEye (RE), Germany
• European Academy Bolzano ( EURAC ), Italy
• Remote Sensing Application Center (ReSAC), Bulgaria
• Umweltbundesamt GmbH, Austria

The following forest authorities and industrial partners are involved as users:

• State Forestry Directorate Styria, Austria
• Thuringia Forest, Germany
• Regional Directorate of State Forests Wrocław, Poland
• Forest Planning Office of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano South Tyrol, Italy
• Executive Forest Agency, Bulgaria
• Umweltbundesamt GmbH, Austria
• Stora Enso , Finland

In order for the developments to meet user requirements, the EUFODOS project integrates users in a user forum ( User Executive Body , UEB). By networking service developers and users, operational implementation is guaranteed. The requirements for the products were defined by the users at the beginning of the project and implemented in the course of the project together with the service developers through intensive cooperation. This constant discussion and feedback process guarantees a successful implementation of the services in the various Europe-wide test areas.

Test areas

The EUFODOS test areas are located in 7 European countries in the temperate as well as in the boreal zone .

Applications and Products

In EUFODOS, so-called Forest Downstream Services are being developed, which aim on the one hand to record forest damage and on the other hand to record forest parameters for the economic evaluation as well as the protectability of forests. These services are urgently needed by European forest authorities and are therefore being developed in the consortium for operational use. The regional results produced can also be used for national or international reporting. These include, for example, a ministerial conference on the protection of forests in Europe or UNECE / FAO - Forest Resource Assessment. The use of new types of satellite or airborne sensors enables the acquisition of data not only more cheaply, but also in much shorter time intervals. For example, windthrow areas, derived as geo-referenced maps from satellite images, can be delivered much faster and more cheaply than was previously possible using helicopter flights or intensive site visits. The Forest Downstream Services thus provide users with current and reliable information on the extent of damage on a regional scale. The EUFODOS products and services generated can be used by the user for a whole range of applications, including:

• Determination of damage and initiation of follow-up measures: Localization and identification of the damaged areas in order to be able to initiate suitable measures, but also to support the calculation of compensation payments and the planning of reforestation
• For the sustainable management of protective forests: To support protective forest planning so that its function to protect settlements or infrastructure from natural hazards is guaranteed.
• The sustainable management of commercial forests: For planning logging or for the logistical organization of investment measures in commercial forests.
• For reporting: For updating forest maps or inventories, creating regular reports and statistical data (e.g. documentation of changes in forest area) or for setting up forest damage information systems.

Integration of 'Core Service' information

An important component for the successful development of the services is the integration of existing information, such as the core services . These data levels from the Geoland 2 projects or the GMES Initial Operations (GIO) enable process workflows to be optimized. In the early stages of the project it was shown that the use of this information can improve the EUFODOS services in terms of quality and cost savings.

Dissemination of the results

Regular newsletters, which are distributed to various institutions, organizations and potential users, provide information on the project results. This and other information can be found on the project website.

Web links

• European Forest Downstream Services website (Engl.)
• Copernicus (Engl.)
• EC (English; PDF; 154 kB)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ European Communities (2011): EUFODOS European Forest Downstream Services - Improved Information on Forest Structure and Damages. GMES Downstream Services ( PDF ( Memento of the original from September 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this note. ). 
2. ↑ Ermert J., Dees M., Koch B. (2012): Mapping of storm damages in forests using terra TerraSAR-X image data. Proceedings of the 1st EARSeL Workshop on Temporal Analysis of Satellite Images, Mykonos, Greece, May 23-25, 2012, pp. 145-152. Archived copy ( memento of the original from June 10, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
3. ↑ Hirschmugl M., Gallaun H., Wack R., Granica K., Schardt M. (2013): EUFODOS: European Forest Downstream Services - Improved Information on Forest Structure and Damage. Int. Arch. Photogram. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XL-1 / W1, 127-131. ( PDF )
4. ↑ Schardt M. (2013): Recording the protection and tree line - EUFODOS. Presented at “Laserscanning - where are we?” A joint event of the “Research and Development” and “Information Technology” committees of the Austrian Forestry Association, the Austrian Forest Dialogue and the Ministry of Life. April 30, 2013 in Vienna. Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 17, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
5. ^ Copernicus Land Monitoring Service . Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 30, 2013. 
6. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated November 1, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .  
7. ↑ Schardt, M. (2012): EUFODOS European Forest Downstream Services - Improved Information on Forest Structure and Damages. Presented at GMES Event - Space Information Day, September 20, 2012 in Vienna Archived copy ( memento of the original from March 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
8. ↑ Linser S. (2013): EUFODOS at a glance. EUFODOS Newsletter Issue 10 http://www.eufodos.info/sites/default/files/downloads/EUFODOS_Newsletter10_0613.pdf .
9. ↑ Schardt M. (2012): EUFODOS European Forest Downstream Services - Improved Information on Forest Structure and Damages. Presented at GMES Event - Space Information Day, September 20, 2012 in Vienna, Austria. Archived copy ( memento of the original from March 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
10. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from September 23, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
11. ↑ http://www.gaf.de .
12. ↑ http://www.vtt.fi/?lang=en .
13. ↑ http://www.felis.uni-freiburg.de/?set_language=en
14. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from September 25, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
15. ↑ http://www.eurac.edu .
16. ↑ http://www.resac-bg.org/ .
17. ↑ http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/en/ .
18. ↑ http://www.verwaltung.steiermark.at/cms/ziel/75777002/DE/ .
19. ↑ http://www.thueringenforst.de/de/forst/ .
20. ↑ http://www.wroclaw.lasy.gov.pl/ .
21. ↑ http://www.provinz.bz.it/forst/ .
22. ↑ http://www.iag.bg/lang/2/index .
23. ↑ http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/en/ .
24. ↑ http://www.storaenso.com/ .
25. ↑ Linser S. (2011): User Engagement in EUFODOS. EUFODOS Newsletter, Issue 1 ( PDF ).
26. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from September 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .  
27. ↑ Schardt M., Granica K. (2012): Success Stories - Improved Information of Forest Structure and Damages. In: Discover what GMES can do for European regions and cities. Window on GMES. A GMES4Regions Publication. Special Issue November 2012. Archive link ( Memento of the original from September 25, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
28. ↑ Schardt M., Granica K. (2012): Success Stories - Improved Information of Forest Structure and Damages. In: Discover what GMES can do for European regions and cities. Window on GMES. A GMES4Regions Publication. Special Issue November 2012. Archive link ( Memento of the original from September 25, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
29. ↑ Linser S. (2013): EUFODOS at a glance. EUFODOS Newsletter Issue 10 ( PDF ).
30. ^ Vassilev V. (2012): EUFODOS - Successful service application in Bulgaria. EUFODOS Newsletter, Issue 8 ( PDF ).
31. ^ Vassilev V. (2012): Bulgarian Forest Agency benefits from GMES products. 1st Copernicus Newsletter. Archive link ( Memento of the original from October 19, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
32. ↑ Granica K. (2012): EUFODOS Success Story. EUFODOS Newsletter Issue 5 ( PDF ).
33. ↑ Schüssler H., Granica K. (2011): EUFODOS Service Case in Austria. EUFODOS Newsletter Issue 3 http://www.eufodos.info/sites/default/files/downloads/EF-third%20newsletter_18%2007%202011.pdf .
34. ↑ Hirschmugl M., Gallaun H., Wack R., Granica K., Schardt M. (2013): EUFODOS: European Forest Downstream Services - Improved Information on Forest Structure and Damage. Int. Arch. Photogram. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XL-1 / W1, 127-131. http://www.int-arch-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/XL-1-W1/127/2013/isprsarchives-XL-1-W1-127-2013.pdf
35. ↑ Astola H., Häme T., Ahola H., Susila, P. (2012): EUFODOS - Assessing Forest Structural Parameters in Finland. EUFODOS Newsletter, Issue 6 ( PDF ).
36. ↑ Schardt M., Granica K. (2012): Success Stories - Improved Information of Forest Structure and Damages. In: Discover what GMES can do for European regions and cities. Window on GMES. A GMES4Regions Publication. Special Issue November 2012. Archive link ( Memento of the original from September 25, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
37. ↑ Linser S. (2011): User Engagement in EUFODOS. EUFODOS Newsletter, Issue 1 ( PDF ).
38. ↑ http://www.eufodos.info .