Healthy forests for healthy people
In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March International Forest Day. This day is an opportunity to celebrate forests and the importance of their diversity. The theme for 2023 was "healthy forests for healthy people".
To mark the occasion, the Forest Guides of the Société Royale Forestières de Belgique (SRFB) are offering a number of walking tours:
- Let's take a walk in the woods! - Friday 24 March - Durbuy - More info
- Discovering an Arboretum and a Forest - Saturday 25 March - Tervuren - The Arboretum and the Forest More info
- La forêt in a nut shell, the Forêt de Soignes in a nutshell - Saturday 25 March - La Hulpe - France More info
- In the heart of the Ardennes forest and its benefits - Sunday, March 26 - Sugny - More info
THE FOREST AND OUR HEALTH
The press kit distributed on the occasion of this day gives an overview of the numerous research studies and experiments on the health benefits of nature and forests.
To sum up, the current scientific consensus distinguishes between established benefits (grade A - established scientific evidence) for which the positive correlation of exposure to nature meets the highest level of scientific proof, presumed benefits for which there is sufficient data to reasonably assume this correlation (grade B - scientific presumption) and, finally, elements for which the evidence is considered weak (grade C - low level of scientific proof). This does not mean that these elements are scientifically invalid, but that the current state of knowledge is insufficient to judge them. We would like to thank the University in Nature for its help in researching scientific information.
Table 1: Examples of benefits studied and associated grades of recommendations which assess the level of knowledge and representativeness of the research.
| Type of benefits | Elements studied |
|---|---|
| Scientific evidence established (grade A research assessment) | |
| Physiological benefits |
|
| Psychological benefits |
|
| Scientific presumption (grade B research assessment) | |
| Psychological benefits |
|
| Cognitive benefits |
|
| Low level of scientific evidence (grade C research assessment) | |
| Other benefits |
|
Source : The benefits of nature on global health - Bherer et al. - March 2021 - https://www.sepaq.com/resources/docs/org/autres/org_icm_rapport_nature_sante_globale.pdf
FOREST HEALTH
Beech, oak, ash, spruce and Douglas fir alone account for more than 65 % of the wooded area in Wallonia (source PanoraBois 2021). All these species present health problems, to varying degrees.
The Observatoire Wallon de la Santé des Forêts (OWSF) was set up in 2011 to centralise data and knowledge on forest health in Wallonia and Brussels. To fulfil its mission as effectively as possible, the OWSF has set up and coordinates a monitoring network whose observations and data are essential to the work of scientists.
This network relies on Correspondent-Observers (COs) who are the eyes of the OWSF on the ground. In 2015, the SRFB responded to the OWSF's request to contribute to health monitoring in Walloon forests, by developing a service for private forests.
For forest owners, calling on the services of an observer correspondent means getting help in the present and contributing to the knowledge of the future.
SRFB's 21 COs can be called upon to provide 3 main types of service:
| Plantation monitoring | Have you just planted a plot? The monitoring protocols are carried out on winter plantings, on two occasions: in May-June and in October. They provide detailed monitoring of the health of future stands. The plantations concerned may be mixtures but must include at least 400 plants of the same species to enable observations to be made in accordance with the OWSF protocol. |
| Short-term monitoring | Is a tree or group of trees dying or under attack? A correspondent can come and take the necessary observations and samples to establish a diagnosis in collaboration with the OWSF. |
| Abonnement | Votre propriété fait plus de 50 ha ? Prenez un abonnement de deux ans, pour 2 à 4 visites qui serviront aussi bien à suivre des cas précis et répondre à vos questions qu’à alimenter l’OWSF en données de suivi du même endroit. |
Les services des Correspondants Observateurs sont accessibles à tous les propriétaires forestiers wallons (gratuit pour les membres de la SRFB, plus d’info sur notre site)
