Events
Researchers from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) presented two scientific contributions at M2GARSS 2026 in Marrakech, showcasing innovative approaches to better understand how Mediterranean forests respond to management interventions and water stress.
Although the studies were conducted in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) forests, the methodologies developed are applicable to the species addressed within WOOD4LIFE, including black pine (Pinus nigra) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). The research provides valuable insights that can support sustainable forest management and climate adaptation strategies across Mediterranean forest landscapes.
The first study explored how satellite-based monitoring can be used to assess forest recovery following silvicultural treatments. Using an enhanced version of the Copernicus Gross Dry Matter Productivity (GDMP) product, researchers quantified changes in forest productivity after thinning and scrub-clearing operations. The results demonstrate the potential of remote sensing technologies to monitor forest management impacts at large scales and to better understand recovery dynamics under drought conditions.
The second study focused on soil evaporation in semi-arid Mediterranean pine forests. Through an experimental setup using mini-lysimeters under contrasting sun and shade conditions, researchers evaluated how canopy cover influences water loss from the soil. The findings highlight the important role of forest structure in regulating water dynamics and improving ecosystem functioning in water-limited environments.
Together, these contributions provide new insights into two key aspects of climate-smart forestry: the recovery of forest productivity after management interventions and the role of forest structure in water conservation. Both topics are highly relevant for improving decision-making in Mediterranean forests facing increasing pressure from drought and climate change.
The presentations acknowledged WOOD4LIFE as a supporting framework for the dissemination of this research, demonstrating how scientific innovation can contribute to advancing sustainable forest management practices across Europe.
In May, Castilla-La Mancha brought WOOD4LIFE to Amsterdam for a high-level European discussion on the future of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy.
On 13 May 2026, WOOD4LIFE was presented at the side event "Initiatives for a successful green transition", held during the ERIAFF Annual Conference in Amsterdam (11–13 May 2026).
The event was jointly organised by the ERIAFF Working Groups on Forested Regions and on Bioeconomy and Resilience, bringing together policymakers and regional authorities from across Europe to explore how the new EU Bioeconomy Strategy can support the green transition. It offered a concrete space to exchange good practices and identify pathways for turning regional forest potential into economic and environmental value.
The Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, WOOD4LIFE's project coordinator, participated at the highest institutional level. The delegation, composed of Deputy Minister of the Environment José Almodóvar Araez, Director General for Natural Environment and Biodiversity Susana Jara Sánchez, and Head of Area Alfredo Chavarría Samper, presented WOOD4LIFE as a working example of how sustainable forest management, forest-owner governance and wood-based value chains can contribute to climate change mitigation and regional development.
The conference confirmed that the approach WOOD4LIFE is piloting in Castilla-La Mancha and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines - connecting forests, communities and markets - is directly relevant to the broader European conversation on bioeconomy and land use.
Stay updated on WOOD4LIFE activities and results: follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
The European WOOD4LIFE project was represented at the Like Token CO2 Congress, held in Murcia from February 19 to 21, 2025, through the participation of Ricardo Ruiz Peinado, researcher at the Institute of Forestry Sciences (ICIFOR-INIA) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and partner of the project.
During his speech, Ruiz Peinado presented a paper entitled "The WOOD4LIFE project: carbon sequestration in durable wood products (from forest to industry)", in which he explained how improved forest management can contribute significantly to climate change mitigation. The presentation highlighted the role of long-lived wood products as carbon sinks outside the forest, as well as the need to revive the forest value chain to ensure sustainable and resilient management in the face of abandonment and fragmentation of forest ownership.
WOOD4LIFE, co-financed by the European Union's LIFE program, works both in Castilla-La Mancha and in the National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines (Italy), applying sustainable forest management practices that improve carbon sequestration, biodiversity and wood quality. The project also promotes innovative tools and business models to strengthen the role of the forestry sector in the transition to a low-carbon economy, in line with the European Carbon Farming initiative.