Reports of Other Regional Initiatives or Projects

Regional initiatives from Sweden and Denmark

(Richard Bradshaw)

1. There are large numbers of well-dated sites in Scandinavia that are not yet incorporated into EPD. Many of these were collated into the old NORDMAP database that stored data at 500 year intervals and was unsuitable for EPD. A current project funded by the Swedish Research Council is working with NORDMAP data and modernising the database. Some resources are available for putting data in a suitable form for submission to EPD and this work is planned for 2000. Fourteen well-dated sites from Denmark should be included in this submission.

2. The EU project RENFORS mapped the recent history of forest types for Sweden, Denmark and England. EPD data were used to construct a classification of European forest types that covered the entire Holocene. Final maps that use EPD data have appeared in two publications to date and in EU project reports.

Lindbladh, M., Bradshaw, R.H.W. & Holmqvist, B.H. (2000). Pattern and process in south Swedish forests during the last 3000 years sensed at stand and regional scales. Journal of Ecology 88 (in press).

Bradshaw, R.H.W & Holmqvist, B.H. (1999) Danish forest development during the last 3000 years reconstructed form regional pollen data. Ecography 22, 53-62.

3. The EU project NATMAN aims to develop new management methods for Fagus forests. As a part of this project we aim to study the Holocene history of Fagus in Europe. This will involve collaboration with EPD for which there is some limited funding for meetings etc. European palynologists interested in this topic are welcome to contact Richard Bradshaw (rhwb@geus.dk).

4. There is a plan developing for a new project called GENESIS that could have EPD involvement. The project plans to compare genetic and distributional aspects of forest fragmentation today and at the end of the last glaciation. The project will involve partners from eastern Europe but needs a dynamic co-ordinator with time to spare. Suggestions are welcomed!