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Environmental information systems
Forest biological diversity refers to all life forms found in forests, such as trees, plants, animals, fungi and microbes, and their genetic variation. It is determined by various factors, including soils, climate, topography, management and disturbances that are either natural or induced by humans.
Main messages
Europe's forests are home to highly diverse ecosystems, with a rich variety of fauna and flora.
In Europe, nearly half of the native tree species are threatened, highlighting the need for effective conservation measures.
Sustainable forest management practices are key in maintaining and enhancing biodiversity.
Related policies
The Birds and Habitats Directives provide a strong legislative framework for all EU countries to protect the most valuable and threatened biodiversity.
EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. A long-term plan to protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems for the benefit of people, climate and the planet. It formulates targets for protection and strict protection of habitats.
EU Nature Restoration Law aims to restore ecosystems, habitats and species across the EU’s land and sea areas.
EU Forest Strategy for 2030 sets a vision and concrete actions to improve the quantity and quality of EU forests and strengthen their protection, restoration and resilience.
Related resources
Natura 2000 is a network of sites across the EU27 for rare and threatened habitats and species that are protected. The network aims to ensure the long-term survival of Europe's most valuable and threatened species and habitats, listed under the Birds and Habitats Directives.
Common Database on Designated Areas (CDDA) is a European data bank for officially designated protected areas, such as nature reserves, protected landscapes and national parks. It follows the categorization system for protected areas of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the standards of the United Nations to ensure compatibility.
Biodiversity Information System for Europe is the European reference gateway for accessing data, information and knowledge on the status and progress towards EU biodiversity targets. This is derived from data collected through key nature-related policy instruments.
Tree restoration potential in the European Union describes the first quantitative assessment based on European datasets of Europe’s capacity to restore its ecosystems through tree restoration. The study reveals that an extra 59 million ha of land could be covered by trees within the EU, when looking only at the biophysical potential of the EU outside Natura 2000 sites..
Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) is an analytical framework that includes common typologies of ecosystems for mapping and a typology of ecosystem services for accounting.
European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN)is an international cooperation programme that promotes the conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Europe as an integral part of sustainable forest management.
IUCN - Presentation of a forest landscape restoration (FLR) methodology to bring back ecosystem functions in degraded forest landscapes
Horizon Europe is theEU’s key funding programme for research and innovation