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Welcome to ICP Forests

The pan-European forest monitoring and research network working under the UNECE Air Convention.

Forest in Winter covered with snow
© L. Kutner

The International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) was established in 1985 under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention, formerly CLRTAP) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

ICP Forests monitors the influence of air pollutants, climate change and other stressors on the condition of forest ecosystems at two levels of monitoring intensity: Level I monitoring is based on around 6,000 observation plots on a systematic 16 x 16 km transnational grid across Europe and beyond to provide insight into the geographical and temporal variation of forest condition. Level II intensive monitoring comprises over 600 plots in selected forest ecosystems with the aim of clarifying cause-effect relationships.

Currently, 40 European countries as well as the USA and Canada are involved in the programme.

42

paticipating countries

2

intensity levels
of monitoring

Over 6,000

forest monitoring plots

40 years

since its foundation

Happy Birthday, ICP Forests!

2025 is a special year: ICP Forests celebrates its 40th anniversary!
The transition from air pollution to climate change and its impact on forest ecosystems is the central theme of the anniversary.

The celebration event and the ICP Forests scientific conference, FORECOMON 2025, will take place in Dresden, Germany, from 19 - 21 May 2025.

Registration for the celebration event and FORECOMON 2025 is open until 3 April 2025. [Registration link]

Further information can be found at forecomon2025.thuenen.de.

News

FORECOMON 2025: Abstract submission open

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The PCC is pleased to announce the FORECOMON 2025 "On the pulse of European Forests: 40 years of forest monitoring – from air pollution to climate change" to be held in Dresden, Germany, 19 - 21 May 2025. The deadline for submitting abstracts is 4 February 2025.

The conference is hosted by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the State Ministry for Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture of Saxony. The Thünen Institute of Forest Ecosystems and Sachsenforst State Forest are providing the local organization.

To submit your abstract, please follow the guidelines listed on the conference website: https://forecomon2025.thuenen.de/abstract-submission

The deadline for abstract submission is 31 January 2025.  

Prior to FORECOMON 2025, the 40th Anniversary Celebration event will take place in the afternoon of 19 May 2025. The FORECOMON 2025 will be followed by the 41st Task Force Meeting of ICP Forests, taking place on 22 - 23 May 2025.
 
For more detailed information and registration (open in January), please visit the conference website or contact forecomon2025@thuenen.de.
 
On behalf of the Scientific and Organizing Committee,

The PCC

ICP Forests plots

Level 1 map shows all active plots in 2016.
The Level I map shows all plots that were active in 2016.
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