The FTF has streamlined its work into four working groups:
The Biologically Important Forests (BIFs) Working Group
The Biologically Important Forests (BIFs) Working Group
works to:
- identify and map BIFs in Europe;- create European network of BIFs, BIFs should be perceived as components of cross-border wilderness corridors connecting northern boreal forests of Fennoscandia with southern forest tracks of Balkans, as well as Eastern Carpathians of Ukraine with the Spanish Pyrenees;
- apply adaptive forest management to BIFs;
- protect the most threatened BIFs in Europe;
- improve knowledge on important forests in Europe
The BIF mapping is based on the available information in forest databases supplemented by other appropriate data sources such as potential Special Protection Areas (pSPAs) and potential Special Areas of Conservation (pSACs), satellite images and field-checks. The BIF mapping results in the development of a GIS database achieved in the process of a thorough filtering of the collected data. The major product of BIF mapping is an interactive and user-friendly mapping service available on Internet (www.birdlife.fi/forestmapping).
The analysis of the BIF distribution should be a beginning for new, holistic approach to the forest policy, harmonizing preservation of larger forest ecosystems, restoration management and commercial forestry the larger ecologically active (working) landscapes, mimicking ancient functioning trans-European tracks of forest wilderness.
The Biodiversity-enhancing Forestry Working Group
works to ensure that all forest owners across Europe have access to information and materials relevant to their forest types about biodiversity-friendly forestry. The group also promotes such forestry at the EU level, and works to ensure that Rural Development money is used for this purpose in all Member States. In particular, the Working Group promotes alternatives to modern “clearcut and replant one trees species” forms of forestry, which are the most harmful to forests’ recreational use, landscape management, and species. There is widespread demand for such knowledge among forest owners.
The Forest Certification WG
co-ordinates the work of BirdLife Partners working within the National Initiatives for certifi cation overseen by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC). FTF does not currently endorse other certifi cation schemes. The FTF Certifi cation Working Group is currently working with scientists and the Forestry Stewardship Council to evaluate scientifi cally the ecological impact of FSC certifi cation in forests, and to develop indicators for measuring this.The Forest Indicators & Monitoring Working Group's
FINE project (Forest INdicators for Europe) aims at developing and promoting a birdbased indicator of forest health in Europe. Birds are easier to census than most species, and one of the few organisations that can deliver such data in suffi cient quantities is BirdLife, whose expert members gather large amounts of information on bird numbers annually all over Europe. BirdLife in Europe is active in developing indicators for a variety of different habitats: its indicator of the ecological health of agricultural landscapes using birds is an offi cial Sustainable Development Indicator of the European Union.