Feedback by Boris Rantaša

Summer School "Modelling Assisted Migration to Adapt Forests and Ecosystem Services to Climate Change",  30 July- 4 August 2023,  Traunkirchen, Austria

by Boris Rantaša

From July 30th to August 4th, 2023, I participated in the Summer School titled "Modelling Assisted Migration to Adapt Forests and Ecosystem Services to Climate Change." This event was organized by the Bundesforschungszentrum für Wald (BFW) and the Czech University of Life Sciences, and held at the Forestry Training Centre in Traunkirchen, Austria.

The primary focus of the Summer School was the development of a model for assisted migration in response to climate change, specifically tailored to various European tree species. I was a part of a team tasked with creating a model for the European beech (Fagus sylvatica). At the end of the Summer School, our group presented our model to fellow participants, as well as scientific leaders Dr. Debyoti Chakraborty, Dr. Silvio Schüller and Prof. Dr. Milan Lstibůrek.

In addition to model development, we had the opportunity to visit one of Europe's advanced forestry nurseries and engage in tree breeding and provenance trials in Northern Austria.

"The Summer School provided a great opportunity to delve into both the theoretical and practical aspects of creating models for assisted migration in forest ecosystems. The blend of theoretical, practical, and technical instruction provided us with knowledge and motivation for future work in this field. The Summer School served as a platform for fostering collaborations among experts from Europe and beyond."