EUFODOS: European Forest Downstream Services - Improved Information on Forest Structure and Damages

Project ID: 262786

Funded under: FP7-SPACE

Duration: 2011.01.01 – 2013.12.31

Coordinator: JOANNEUM RESEARCH FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH - Austria

Participants: Project's partners include companies and institutions from 8 European countries, including ReSAC

The EUFODOS project is part of the Copernicus program - the European Union’s revolutionary Earth Observation and Monitoring Programme, a continuation of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program. The Forest Downstream Services (FDS) to be developed within EUFODOS project include the assessment of forest damage and the measurement of functional parameters for commercial and protective forests.

Remote Sensing Application Center (ReSAC) is successfully included in the EUFODOS project, providing results related to:

• Preparation and update of maps and GIS database for the forest areas and forest area changes
• Rapid mapping for disaster management

In the frame of the project ReSAC will develop services to the Executive Forest Agency (EFA), Bulgaria.

The proposed test site for downstream service development includes the Forestry of Zemen, Breznik, and Tran. They are situated in central parts of Western Bulgaria, in South-Western planning region (NUTS II). For this area, maps and GIS databases will be developed for the state of forest landscapes (range, types, densities, changes).

The other 3 areas are related to the Rapid mapping for disaster management under the EUFODOS project. These are:

• The area around the village of Gostun, Bansko municipality, South-Western planning region (NUTS II), Bulgaria (mapping forest fire from April 2011);
• The territory of the State Forestry Sredec (massive damages of trees in consequence of an early snowfall accompanied with strong winds from October 2011);
• Disaster mapping for forest management in Biosphere Reserve “Bistrishko Branishte”, Vitosha Mountain, Bulgaria.