Guidelines for the Development of Upscaling Plans
1. What is an upscaling route map?
A route-map for upscaling forest restoration is a document that identifies and explores the potential for wider application of the learning from a pilot or demo project.
The route map should form a key input for a wider regional or national forest restoration plan or programme. It serves as an important mechanism to transfer knowledge from projects that are limited in extent or time to larger plans. It should be written from the perspective of those running the demo or pilot and so provides valuable ‘bottom-up’ insights for those developing and implementing policies from the top-down. The rest of this guideline explains how to develop a route-map: a series of guiding questions, things to consider and tools to use. We have developed a simple template, available as an interactive web form, to use for capturing the outcome of the process and communicating it to others. However, it is important that whatever document you develop meets the requirements of your project and is adapted to meet the needs of your key audience.
[Five examples of upscaling route-maps from SUPERB demo-sites; to be added]
Related resources
Upscaling restoration of forests and forest landscapes in Sweden
The SUPERB project has a focus on the EU's new Nature Restoration Regulation. We therefore consider that the results and conclusions from the SUPERB project can be useful for the design of Sweden's national restoration plan. This report is therefore primarily aimed at the officials who will work on the national Swedish restoration plan and the politicians who will decide on it.
Upscaling Route Map - NRW Germany demonstration area
Since 2018, 133,000 ha of former spruce stands in North Rhine-Westphalia have been destroyed due to the combined effects of drought, storm, and bark beetle infestations, resulting in severe consequences for the region’s forests, forest owners, and residents. This has led to significant ecological and economic challenges, including the disruption of critical ecosystem services. Urgent reforestation of these calamity areas is essential to restore ecosystem functions, mitigate soil erosion, and secure the long-term resilience of NRW's forests.
Upscaling Plan for the Scottish Demo Forest
The Scottish demo area, the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, is a research forest managed by Forest and Land Scotland. It primarily consists of non-native plantation forests and has evolved from focusing on timber production to multi-functional management that emphasizes biodiversity, ecosystem services, and recreational opportunities, including restoration of riparian zones, species diversity, and measures to combat ecological pressures such as invasive species and deer browsing.
Upscaling route-map - Croatian & Serbian border river floodplain demonstration area
Based on the SUPERB cross-border demo area in riparian forests of Serbia and Croatia, the guidance highlights how site-level work—such as converting vulnerable poplar monocultures into diverse native forests with species like pedunculate oak—can contribute to long-term ecological goals, including climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and improved ecosystem services like flood regulation and carbon storage.
Upscaling plan, route-map for upscaling Spanish demo
In El Bierzo rural-urban migration has led to abandonment of agrosilvopastoral practices. The area of shrubland and young forests has increased on previously arable and pasture land. Combined with the Mediterranean climate, this has led to an increase in forest fires. The Cantabrian brown bear is threatened and occur in two small and isolated subpopulations in NW Spain. Thus, we address three interconnected problems: rural abandonment, forest fires and brown bear habitats and its connectivity.