Resources

This document outlines the strategy for transformative stakeholder engagement in the twelve SUPERB demonstration areas. It provides planners, policymakers and practitioners with an example on how to build towards inclusive co-creation of forest restoration. It includes advice on practical engagement formats and a framework for analysing and addressing social, political, economic and other enablers and challenges to stakeholder engagement. 

This report is results of a representative survey in Switzerland. It shows that forests are highly valued for ecological benefits and well-being. People favor passive restoration (e.g., deadwood retention) over active methods. Restoration is seen to enhance biodiversity, recreation, and aesthetics, with strong public support mainly through taxes and policies. Support varies little across gender, age, or education.

This practical guide takes users through the whole process of implementing Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR). Aimed at practitioners, facilitators, NGOs, policymakers, and local authorities, it was created to bridge the gap between ambitious global restoration targets and the realities on the ground. 

This EPA publication focuses on the agency’s efforts to address environmental degradation and promote restoration of ecosystems across the United States. It reviews programs and policies aimed at cleaning up contaminated sites, restoring air and water quality, rehabilitating damaged lands, and supporting healthier communities. By combining regulatory actions with collaborative initiatives, the document illustrates how restoration contributes not only to ecological health but also to public safety, economic vitality, and long-term resilience.

Austria’s forests have been central to national identity, rural livelihoods, and ecological stability for centuries. Historical afforestation campaigns and state-led protection laid the groundwork for today’s expansive forest cover as shown in the figure-1 below, which now provides not only timber but also critical services such as hazard protection, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration. 

Global forest restoration initiatives offer a critical chance to reverse deforestation and degradation, but success depends on collaboration across stakeholders and strong local involvement. Effective monitoring systems are essential to scale, adapt, and track progress, with participatory monitoring emerging as a key tool. This review explores its role through case studies, experiences, and concepts, highlighting lessons learned and pathways to enhance restoration outcomes worldwide.

Ecological restoration supports biodiversity, human wellbeing, food and water security, and climate resilience. The updated International Principles and Standards provide a framework of eight guiding principles, tools, and best practices to improve restoration design, monitoring, and outcomes. By integrating science, traditional knowledge, and stakeholder engagement, these Standards aim to deliver lasting ecological, social, and economic benefits worldwide.

In rural areas, rising seasonal rainfall can cause flooding that threatens communities, tourism, and local businesses. Hard engineering methods like dams, reservoirs, channels, and embankments are costly and harm habitats, biodiversity, water quality, and soil fertility, while also reducing landscape value. In contrast, Natural Flood Management offers a cost-effective, nature-based alternative that reduces flood risk while benefiting ecosystems and local communities.

About three-quarters of Scotland’s forested land is made up of non-native plantations, mostly Sitka spruce. In many upland areas, productive tree growth is limited above 300 to 350 meters elevation due to wind exposure, poor soils, and grazing. These conditions create fragile open land with slope instability, low biodiversity, and simplified landscapes. High-elevation planting aims to restore the natural transition zones, improve slope stability, and enhance habitat diversity and resilience.

Planners responsible for the design of a reforestation plan often rely on contractors or other personnel for the implementation of the reforestation planning. Effective communication is therefore important to ensure that the reforestation objectives, planting patterns, and maintenance needs are understood and followed during the implementation. Visualizing planting groups both on-site and in map materials aids this process by providing a clear reference for people in the field and ensuring alginment between design and implementation.

A common challenge in resforestation efforts is the availability of sufficient planting material, both in quantity and quality. A temporary Saatkamp can support restoration efforts by generating a supply of locally adapted seedlings. Benefits include reduced costs compared to externally sourced seedlings, and better adaptation of seedlings to local site conditions. Additionally, using locally grown seedlings facilitates more efficient logistical planning.

This publication reviews best practice cases of Natura 2000 implementation in forests across the EU-28. It highlights examples from 18 countries and includes an in-depth case study of Baden-Württemberg, showcasing how policy, legal and economic measures can support effective management of forest habitats and species.

This publication reviews the implementation of Natura 2000 in forests within the broader EU policy process. It explains how the Habitats and Birds Directives were transposed into national law and enforced, outlines the two main stages of implementation – site designation and management regimes – and analyses forest-specific challenges. The role of EU-level policy, guidance, funding, and stakeholder involvement is highlighted throughout.

The Heureka system is a forest decision support system developed at SLU which allow users to conduct long-term future analyses of Swedish forests and forestry.

In many forest restoration and reforestation projects in the Netherlands, young trees face high pressure from browsing wildlife. Climate change adds stress, with warmer, drier summers, especially on large clear-cuts. This good practice shows how wildlife protection and strategic planting of larger stock in small groups improve survival and support the recovery of a healthy forest structure.

The study explores how individuals engage with forest ecosystems, focusing on their perceptions, the benefits they associate with forests, and their involvement in forest restoration in specific European regions. Effective forest restoration requires context-sensitive approaches and the inclusion of diverse societal perspectives. This is crucial for the practical implementation of the newly adopted EU Nature Restoration Regulation and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

This guideline provides practical advice for designing household and online surveys on public views of forests and restoration. It supports researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with culturally sensitive approaches, ready-to-use multilingual questionnaires, and key insights to generate high-quality data for evidence-based decision-making and public engagement.

This questionnaire explores public views on forests and restoration, covering benefits, practices, impacts, and support. Available in German, Italian, Swedish, English, Danish, Dutch, French, Spanish, Czech, Serbian, Croatian, and Romanian, it provides valuable data for comparative research, evidence-based policy, and fostering public engagement in forest management.

The Forest Restoration Decision-Support Tool helps users access key SUPERB products on policy, governance, and societal perspectives. It provides policy databases, case studies, and methods to guide evidence-based decisions. This tool supports policymakers, researchers, and practitioners in addressing restoration challenges and applying solutions effectively.

Natura 2000 forms the backbone of EU biodiversity conservation policy, with forests representing around 50% of its protected area. This study highlights five key challenges to implementation in forests – from balancing biodiversity and timber use to climate change and funding gaps – and proposes five policy pathways, stressing that a combination of approaches is needed to ensure success.

During the communist period, many hectares of coniferous trees, especially spruce, were planted in Romania to replace natural beech and mixed forests. These interventions caused multiple ecological imbalances including severe decrease of biodiversity, lack of long term stability, changes in water regime and many other side effects. Conversion requires multiple interventions through gradually reducing the density of the stand and, through planting or natural regeneration, bringing the composition of the stands closer to the natural forest type.

This study analyses how the EU’s Natura 2000 network has been implemented in Austria. It applies implementation theory to explain delays and differing outcomes across federal states, highlighting the role of administrative capacity, institutional pressures, compliance culture, and stakeholder dynamics. Findings reveal three modes of implementation and ongoing challenges to policy coherence.

This assessment analyses the condition of Europe’s ecosystems and the pressures they face, from intensive land use and pollution to climate change and invasive species. Covering forests, farmlands, wetlands, rivers, lakes, marine and urban ecosystems, it evaluates trends since 2010 and highlights links between ecosystem condition, services to people, and the need for targeted conservation and restoration.

This report presents the key findings from the analysis of regulatory provisions across the 27 EU Member States (plus the United Kingdom) regarding the protection and conservation of forest birds.

This short report introdcues a straightforward approach to the analysis of policy coherence across policy areas and political levels.

This study it provides valuable insights into the development of the EU-NRR—the EU's first directly applicable and legally binding forest-related policy instrument.

Forests in Europe are strongly affected by climate change, political uncertainties, and fragmented landscapes. Securing a sustainable wood supply requires understanding the key factors influencing forests and implementing evidence-based responses. This synthesis report offers scientific insights and expert knowledge to support stakeholders across the forest value chain and the wood-based sector in addressing these challenges.

Environmental Education Guide: In Search of the Lost Trash

- Target Audience: Children aged 6 to 12
- Recommended Number of Participants: 10 participants per instructor
- Activity Duration: 1 hour
- Recommended Season: Any time of year

Environmental Education Guide: Anthotype Printing

- Target Audience: Ages 3 and up (with adult supervision)
- Recommended Number of Participants: 5 participants per instructor
- Activity Duration: 90 minutes + 1 day for drying
- Recommended Season: Any time of year

Environmental Education Guide: Litter Cleanup

- Target Audience: Ages 10 and up
- Activity Duration_ 2 to 3 hours
- Recommended Season: Any

Environmental Education Guide: Creation of species tags and herbarium

- Target Audience: Ages 11 to 18
- Activity Duration: Several days
- Recommended Season: Any

Fires may be seen as a threat to forests but they are also an integrated part, natural disturbance, in many forest ecosystems as they shape forest structure and provide important conditions for associated species. Due to more than 100 years of fire suppression in boreal Fennoscandia, fires are now implemented in boreal forests as an important restoration action.

Environmental Education Guide: Find the tree.

- Target audience: 6 to 12 years old
- Recommended number of participants: 10 participants/monitor
- Activity duration: 30 - 40 min
- Recommended season: Spring and summer

Participants will take part in the creation of homemade soaps using a glycerin base and other natural ingredients. The process requires mixing the ingredients in a double boiler and then pouring the mixture into molds, which is why this activity is not suitable for large groups or young children.

Forests are essential ecosystems, covering approximately 35% of Europe’s land area. They harbor a significant share of Europe’s terrestrial biodiversity and provide a wide range of ecosystem services critical to European citizens. However, forests across Europe are increasingly threatened by various forms of degradation, driven by multiple, often anthropogenic factors. 

This publication, produced within the framework of the European Network, explores how to integrate biodiversity conservation into sustainable forest management across Europe. It presents theoretical insights, real-life case studies, and a toolbox of practical measures. 

This EU policy report explores how forest management can boost carbon sequestration while preserving biodiversity. It reviews practices like afforestation, peatland rewetting, and thinning, assesses their carbon potential, and outlines key challenges for reliable carbon certification.

The Integrate project final report by the European Forest Institute’s Central European Office presents research on integrating biodiversity conservation into forest management. It analyzes forestry impacts, trade-offs, and multifunctional forests, offering cross-border scientific and practitioner insights to support informed policy and practical decisions in Central Europe.

Forests across Europe are under mounting pressure from climate extremes, pests, and rising demand for wood. In a recent article, Prof. Dr. Andreas Rigling (ETH Zurich) highlights how integrated forest management can help maintain biodiversity and essential ecosystem services under these conditions. By combining multifunctional and segregative strategies, this approach promotes natural regeneration, species diversity, and flexible protection measures.

An Excel table that outlines various forest restoration measures and their effects on key soil parameters. This table offers a practical overview for assessing the benefits and limitations of different approaches to forest and soil restoration. Colours indicate a positive or negative effect, while the arrows indicate if there is an increase or decrease of the soil properties. When interpreting this table, it is important to consider that factors like previous land use and implementation quality can strongly influence soil recovery outcomes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Database of different types of resources to support forest restoration practitioners across Europe. It compiles technical guidelines, textbooks, and scientific articles and reviews that provide guidance on specific restoration practices.

The findings of SUPERB and its sister projects guide countries in drafting National Restoration Plans, required by the new NRR. A March 2025 expert meeting shared tools, lessons, and strategies to support effective, field-tested restoration planning. Check out the report!

We analyzed the role of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its´ rural development fund in financing relevant measures over time. The importance of CAP funding for relevant measures is very limited due to a low provision of financial resources for forest-related measures and a limited uptake of these funds by EU Member States.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) aims to reverse ecosystem degradation to benefit biodiversity, climate, and human well-being. It presents a set of Standards of Practice to support effective restoration efforts across all sectors, regions, and ecosystems.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) aims to reverse ecosystem degradation to benefit biodiversity, climate, and human well-being. It presents ten guiding principles to support effective restoration efforts across all sectors, regions, and ecosystems.

The review explores the benefits and challenges of using non-native tree species (NNT) in European forests. It sheds light on their role in climate adaptation, productivity, and ecological risks, offering guidance for balancing innovation in forestry with biodiversity and legal limits.

This review explores how climate-smart forest management can reduce the dominance of invasive non-native tree species (EITS) while enhancing forest resilience. It highlights adaptive strategies like diversification and close-to-nature practices, showing how EITS can sometimes support biodiversity and climate adaptation.

This study focuses on how we can effectively maintain and enhance forest biodiversity in Europe. It looks at what is at stake, the current external and internal threats to forest biodiversity and makes recommendations for how we should respond – both in terms of forest management, and also in terms of the policy landscape and finance.

This database compiles responses from 404 restoration practitioners across Europe, analyzing ecological, social, economic, and political factors influencing restoration outcomes. Structured in 56 tables, it offers actionable insights for designing scalable and adaptive restoration strategies.

Seed4Forest is a decision-support tool that helps users select the most suitable tree species, species mixtures, and provenances for any location across Europe. It supports forest restoration through climate-smart forestry by combining up-to-date scientific knowledge with practical guidance for current and future climate challenges.

Monitoring tree planting tracks survival, growth, and quality to ensure that forest restoration is successful. Field teams should use clear protocols and apps to spot issues early, trigger replanting if needed, and collect data e.g. for carbon credits. This report explains how to plan, run, and report monitoring campaigns to improve outcomes of forest restoration and meet stakeholder needs.

This methodological framework enables forest restoration stakeholders and policy makers to assess the coherence of forest restoration policies and practices with the objectives of other forest-related policy areas. This can support the identification of trade-offs and synergies to inform the planning and implementation of forest restoration (policy) initiatives.

Map based tool provided by the Swedish Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authority (Lantmäteriet). In this tool you can search for properties by name, view the latest official maps and satellite images as well as historical maps and aerial photos.

Map based tool provided by the Swedish Forest Agency. You can explore different kind of forest attributes at specific sites, such as tree hight, standing volume and biomass, general soil moisture, areas planned for harvest and those that has recently been harvest and areas where special concideration should be taken to conservation and cultural values.

Map based tool, mainly developed to show and provide detailed information on formally protected areas and areas with some kind of restriction in Sweden. However, the tool also provide other geografical information such as known areas of forest key habitat, probable and potential continuity forest, land cover types and ownership of large forest owners.