INFORMAR aim to connect three components, Research, Policy and Practice, by building and maintaining a learning architecture between scientists, policy makers and practitioners. The research being carried out through INFORMAR focus on providing scientific findings needed to improve our understanding of the characteristics and potential of integrated forest management approaches in Europe and beyond.
INFORMAR research activities are designed using three principles:
- Interdisciplinarity: Research aims in understanding the broad set of ecological, social and economic factors that impact the pursuance of integrated forest management in different regional contexts. Thus, INFORMAR connects tools and approaches of natural science, social science and economy and includes different types of knowledge relating to integrated forest management.
- Scientific quality and transdisciplinarity: Scientific knowledge created in INFORMAR will address stakeholders’ demands for information. Thus, the questions to be analysed and the research problems to be tackled will be developed in close collaboration with project stakeholders (policy makers and practitioners). At the same time, a systematic and transparent scientific approach meeting the standards set by the scientific community are fundamental principles.
- Internationality: Focusing on Europe, the INFORMAR research aims to link the academic and policy debate on integrating nature protection into forest management by means of publications, conferences, and networking.
The research interests of the INFORMAR Team presently concentrate around two main themes, namely, the current and future ecological, socio-political and economic driving forces of integrated forest management; and improving our understanding of the potential of integrated forest management approaches to integrate nature conservation objectives in Sustainable Forest Management, including consideration of climate change conditions.
Outputs produced through INFORMAR will be used as a foundation for mutual learning related to integrated forest management approaches amongst policy makers, practitioners and scientists.