IRSTEA (former Cemagref ) is a public research institute employing some 950 full-time workers that targets results directly useable in land and water management. The goal is to produce new knowledge and technical innovations for use by managers, decision-makers and companies in providing answers to the specific questions raised by society concerning resource management, land use and development. IRSTEA takes part to the project trough the Department of Land Management, which groups scientists interested in the biodiversity and sustainable development of forest ecosystems. IRSTEA research units have developed a sound knowledge on forest dynamics, protection against natural hazards and biodiversity in managed forest ecosystems and are recognized at the international level as important actors in the field of forest management and forest modelling. IRSTEA has developed a mountain forest dynamics model (SAMSARA) and a process-based rockfall simulation model (ROCKYFOR 3D) to test management scenarios. Within ARANGE IRSTEA is responsible for WP1 and Task 2.2 in WP2. Furthermore there will be active participation in most other WPs.
Web site: www.irstea.fr
Persons involved:
Frédéric Berger
Dr, has been working since 1990 on the protective function of mountain forest ecosystems’ against natural hazards and participated in multiple EU projects in the 4th, 5th and 6th framework programme. He managed a European Project of the 5th FP on the Interaction between mountain forest and rockfall (ROCKFOR). He has developed a model on snow fall interception by forest canopies, a 3D rockfall trajectories model using a GIS interface, models on GIS interface for the assessment and mapping of protection forest at multiple scales.
Thomas Cordonnier
Dr, research activities focus on developing concepts and methods at the frontiers of ecology and silviculture (i.e. disturbance ecology and silviculture; permanence and sustainability; ecosystem management). He is the coordinator the research project FORGECO funded by the National Research Agency (ANR), France.
Benoit Courbaud
Dr, research focus on forest management and modelling. He has developed a mountain forest dynamics model (SAMSARA). He has participated in two EU-funded projects (RockFor (2001-2004) & EcoSlopes (2000-2003)), and one INTERREG project on mountain forest management (2004-2006).
Georges Kunstler
Dr, research focus on forest management and modelling. He has developed a forest dynamics model (SORTIE-NZ) for New Zealand ecosystems. He has developed several field experiments analysing the biotic interaction during tree regeneration. His current research focus on the impact of climate change on forest dynamics.
Sandra Luque
Dr, Landscape ecologist, she serves as elected Vice-president of IALE and is nominated “Deputy Coordinator” for the IUFRO Working Party (Division 8) “Forest Landscape Ecology”. Scientific coordinator for FragforNET (Network on Forest fragmentation and biodiversity loss in South America).
C. Chauvin
is a forest engineer, senior expert on forest management and planning. He has worked on multifunctional and integrated forest management at national and international levels. He coordinated or took part in 3 international LIFE projects, on integrated mountain forestry, monitoring tools for SFM, and biocultural heritage.
Frédéric Gosselin
Dr, has been involved in research projects on the impact of forest management on floristic and entomologic biodiversity, mainly at the national level. He has led four national level projects and co-managed three PhDs. He is currently active on statistical tools – mainly inside the Bayesian framework - to model the relationship between forest related variables and biodiversity.
