February 22, 2022
INTERFORST 2022 with focal topic “Future of silviculture”
Support forest protection with online tools
Climate-resilient forests are a focus in the supporting program
With around 75,000 square meters of exhibition space with solutions for forestry, the leading international trade fair INTERFORST is setting standards at the Munich exhibition grounds from July 17 to 20, 2022. One topic in the exhibition portfolio is the triad of “Future of forestry,” “Forest conversion” and “Forest status.” It’s clear to all visitors that these are the topics for securing the future of forests.
The future-oriented solutions and offerings at INTERFORST 2022 will provide increased resilience for forests, support forest protection and offer better insight into interactions in the forest ecosystem. “With all of our exhibitors, we see a clear focus on the question of securing our future,” says Petra Westphal, Exhibition Director for INTERFORST. “Many providers will also be demonstrating methods and solutions for securing the functioning and services of the forest for our ecosystem.”
A broad selection of product and concepts such as plant protection and soil-conserving timber harvests form the foundation. But these traditional and well-used measures, such as efficient planting methods and damage monitoring, need to be bolstered further through smart digital solutions in future. For that reason, the INTERFORST portfolio is also dedicated to tasks such as location analysis, the monitoring of vulnerable resources and measures for establishing future-proof mixed forests that are suited to a warmer climate. This is helped by the fact that, thanks to online tools and forest-specific, data-based offerings, there are new tools which forest owners and foresters can use to respond even more precisely to the conditions in their own forest.
“With the classic product areas of forest development and timber harvesting, we are of course offering everything that INTERFORST has stood for over time—from seedlings to harvesters to forwarders to chainsaws and much more,” explains Petra Westphal, adding: “With our topics ‘Future of forestry,’ ‘Forest conversion’ and ‘Forest status,’ however, we are also making it possible for visitors to find out about more future-oriented information.” These are exactly the activities that the forest experts have been pursuing for some time. Site-specific and ecological frameworks, such as the condition of the soil, can now be examined in detail. Food origin analyses and recommendations as well as cultivation trials are becoming increasingly important for selecting tree species.
There are data and visualization tools openly available on the web that also confirm that the condition of the forest will have to be assessed on a smaller scale in future in order to develop suitable measures. The forest status monitor, a project from the Bavarian network for climate research, is just one example.
Alongside the exhibitors’ offerings on this focal topic, the supporting program also offers plenty of inspiration on how forestry can adapt for the future. A concept will be presented at the “Forest conversion” special show in Hall B6 on how the changing of tree species needs to progress in the coming years and decades in order to ensure stable and climate-resilient forests for future generations. In the conference on July 19, Prof. Rupert Seidl will give his opinion on the question “How resilient are Europe’s forests?” and Prof. Andreas W. Bitter will offer guidance on reforestation. In addition, the forum on July 17 and 18 will also offer lectures that highlight the topic of climate change and silviculture.