Forest management simulations across Europe under observational climate data (CERRA) using 3D-CMCC-FEM v5.7

This dataset was produced within the Horizon Europe project OptFor-EU – OPTimising FORest management decisions for a low-carbon, climate-resilient future in Europe (2023–2027). It contains outputs from forest ecosystem simulations performed with the 3D-CMCC-FEM model, aimed at assessing the impacts of alternative forest management practices (FMP) under present and future climate scenarios across Europe.

Model description

All simulations in this dataset were conducted using 3D-CMCC-FEM, a process-based forest ecosystem model that simulates eco-physiological and biogeochemical processes at daily resolution and hectare scale. The model explicitly represents species composition, age structure, stand density, and tree dimensions. It can simulates carbon and water cycles under different climate and forest management scenarios. 3D-CMCC-FEM has been widely applied across European forest ecosystems and constitutes a core modelling component of OptFor-EU (Collalti et al., 2014, 2018, 2024; Dalmonech et al., 2022).

Simulations description

Simulations were conducted across Case Study Areas (CSA), combining European Forest Types (EFT), 20-year age classes (AC), and multiple forest management practices (FMP). For each CSA, up to 14 EFT, 8 AC, and 9 FMP were implemented, depending on regional applicability.

Using the Copernicus European Regional ReAnalysis (CERRA) dataset, high-resolution observational climate input data were used to drive the simulations across Europe, providing meteorological forcing at approximately 5.5 km spatial resolution for the historical period (Ridal et al., 2024).

Further details on the simulation protocol are documented in OptFor-EU Deliverable D2.2.

Case Study Areas (CSA)

Table 1: Case Study Areas within the Optfor-EU progect:  each representing distinct European regions and biogeographical conditions.

Code

Nation

Region

CSA1

Norway

Vestfold and Telemark region

CSA2

Lithuania

Čepkeliai – Dzūkija National Park

CSA3

United Kingdom

Wytham Woods

CSA4

Germany

Lower Saxony

CSA5

Austria

Biosphere Reserve “Wiener Wald”

CSA6

Romania

Arges Vedea Watershed

CSA7

Spain

Extremadura Pine Forest

CSA8

Italy

Florentine Mountians

European Forest Types (EFT)

Table 2: Up to 14 EFT are considered per CSA, following OptFor-EU Deliverable D1.1.

CODE

Description

EFT1

Boreal forests

EFT2

Hemiboreal and nemoral coniferous and mixed forests

EFT3

Alpine forests

EFT4

Acidophilous oak and oak–birch forests

EFT5

Mesophytic deciduous forests

EFT6

Beech forests

EFT7

Mountainous beech forests

EFT8

Thermophilous deciduous forests

EFT9

Broadleaved evergreen forests

EFT10

Mediterranean coniferous forests

EFT11

Mire and swamp forests

EFT12

Floodplain forests

EFT13

Non-riverine alder, birch or aspen forest

EFT14

Introduced tree species forest

 *Notes: EFT67 represents combined EFT6 and EFT7; EFT2a denotes a variant of EFT2.

Age classes (AC)

Table 3: Forest age is represented using 20-year age classes.

Age Class

Min-max year per AC

1

0-20

2

21-40

3

41-60

4

61-80

5

81-100

6

101-120

7

121-140

8

>140

*Notes: Initial stand conditions were derived from local forest inventory data to ensure realistic representation of forest structure and species composition.

Forest management practices (FMP)

Table 4: Rules of FMP for CSA across Europe.

CODE

Description

FM0

No management, NOM

FM1

Business-as-usual, BAU – Clearcut

FM2

Business-as-usual, BAU – Shelterwood

FM3

Business-as-usual, BAU – Continuous Forest cover using single tree harvesting

FM4

Continuous harvesting at low intensity, limited by increment

FM5

Increasing thinning intensity of FM1 (BAU - Clearcut) by plus 20%, to emulate higher demand for forest products with larger dimensions

FM6

Decreasing thinning intensity of FM1 (BAU - Clearcut) by minus 20%, to represent less intensive management leading to denser forests with higher carbon stocks

FM7

Increasing thinning intensity of FM2 (BAU - Shelterwood) by plus 20%, to emulate higher demand for forest products with larger dimensions

FM8

Decreasing thinning intensity of FM2 (BAU - Shelterwood) by minus 20%, to represent less intensive management leading to denser forests with higher carbon stocks

FM9

Business-as-usual, BAU - Coppice management

Simulation outpus

Simulation outputs are provided as CSV files, with all relevant meta-information (CSA, EFT, age class, climate scenario, and forest management practice) encoded in the file names. Each file contains selected Essential Forest Mitigation Indicators (EFMI) as defined in OptFor-EU Deliverable D1.2, including indicators related to biomass, carbon stocks, management-related carbon fluxes, and water content.

Table 5: List of EFMI variables included in dataset with relative unit and description.

Column name

unit

Description

Year

unitless

Current year

Growing_stock_m3_ha

m3/ha

Growing stock is the total volume of living trees in a one-hectare forest.

Wood_removals_m3_ha

m3/ha

The annual volume of harvested woody products removed refers to the amount of wood extracted from forests each year for various uses, such as timber, fuelwood, and other wood-based materials.

Living_carbon_stored_in_forests_tC_ha

tC/ha

Living carbon stored in forests refers to the amount of carbon contained in the living biomass of trees and plants within a forest. This includes the carbon stored in all parts of living trees, such as the trunk, branches, leaves, and roots.

Dead_carbon_stored_in_forests_tC_ha

tC/ha

Dead carbon stored in forests refers to the carbon that is held in the form of dead organic matter, such as decaying trees, plants, and plant material (like leaves, branches, and roots).

Soil_carbon_stored_in_forests_tC_ha

tC/ha

Soil carbon refers to the carbon stored within the soil in various forms.

Total_carbon_stored_in_forests_tC_ha

tC/ha

Living, dead and soil carbon strored in forest.

Carbon_stock_in_harvested_wood_products

tC/ha

Carbon stock in harvested wood products refers to the carbon that is stored in wood products after trees are harvested.

LAI_m2_m2

m2/m2

LAI (Leaf Area Index) is a dimensionless ratio that represents the total leaf area of plants in a given area, relative to the ground area they cover.

Forest_layers

unitless

 These layers describe the vertical stratification of a forest and the different environmental niches that trees and other plants occupy.

Standing_deadwood_m3_ha

m3/ha

Standing deadwood refers to trees that have died but remain standing upright in the forest. These trees may be partially decomposed or completely dry and dead.

Lying_deadwood_tC_ha

tC/ha

Lying deadwood consists of logs and branches that have fallen to the forest floor.

Stand_age

years

Current age of dominant trees.

Stand_density_trees_ha

ha-1

Current number of trees per hectare.

Tree_species_diversity_ShannonIndex

unitless

The Shannon Index (also known as the Shannon-Wiener Index) is a measure of species diversity in a community. It takes into account both species richness (the number of different species) and species evenness (the relative abundance of each species)

Relative_Shannon_orEvenness

unitless

The Shannon evenness index (SEI) measures how evenly species are distributed within a community, and it's calculated using the Shannon diversity index.

Tree_species_diversity_Gini

unitless

The Gini coefficient is a statistical measurement that can be used to describe the size hierarchy of trees in a community, or the inequality of their distribution.

Tree_species_diversity_Spec_count

unitless

Number of tree species being present.

AnnualGrowth_m3_ha

m3/ha

Current annual increment is the increase in the volume of a forest volume over the course of a year.

Management_intensity

m3/ha

Forest management intensity is a measure of how much a forest has been managed, which can affect biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Evapotranspiration_mm

mm

Annual evapotranspiration is the total amount of water transferred from land to the atmosphere through evaporation (from soil, canopy, and water surfaces) and transpiration (from plant leaves).

Soil_evaporation_mm

mm

Annual soil evaporation is the total amount of water that evaporates directly from the soil surface into the atmosphere 

Available_soil_water_mm

mm/volume

Annual average available soil water refers to the mean amount of water in the soil that is available for plant uptake throughout the year.

Runoff_mm_m2

mm/m2

Current amount of water outflow (runoff)