The latest episode of the ForestChats podcast features an engaging discussion between Dr. Hans Verkerk, ForestPaths’ coordinator at the European Forest Institute (EFI) and Dr. Alba Viana Soto, researcher at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Together, they delve into the newly updated Next-Generation Forest Disturbance Atlas — a tool that uses satellite data and artificial intelligence to monitor and understand forest disturbances across Europe.

During the episode, Dr. Viana Soto explains why monitoring forest disturbances is becoming increasingly urgent. Europe’s forests, she notes, play a vital role as carbon sinks and providers of essential ecosystem services, but are under mounting pressure from both natural and human-induced factors. Increasing climate extremes are expected to amplify disturbances such as storms, wildfires and insect outbreaks which, combined with intensified harvesting may undermine forest resilience and reduce Europe’s carbon sink.

The Forest Disturbance Atlas addresses these challenges by offering high-resolution, up-to-date maps that distinguish between disturbance types — from fires and storms to pest outbreaks and harvesting. Using vast archives of satellite imagery and advanced AI algorithms, the Atlas can detect when, where and how forest changes occur, providing policymakers, researchers and land managers with vital insights for climate adaptation and restoration planning.

As Dr. Viana Soto highlights, the updated, next generation Forest Disturbance Atlas goes beyond existing datasets by extending disturbance records back to the 20th century and integrating new machine-learning approaches to reveal complex disturbance patterns missed by previous assessments. The result is a dynamic, evolving tool capable of tracking multiple disturbances over time, supporting more informed, data-driven forest management across Europe.

The episode also explores how the Forest Disturbance Atlas can inform European climate and biodiversity policies, help reconcile national carbon budgets and provide accessible data for NGOs, researchers and decision-makers alike. As Dr. Viana-Soto mentions, “Understanding better when, where, and how much forests are being lost or degraded is essential for effective policymaking, sustainable forest management, and for planning both afforestation and the restoration of the most degraded ecosystems. All of these are crucial to restoring and enhancing the climate-mitigation potential of European forests and to staying on track with the EU’s climate goals.”

You can listen to the full episode of ForestChats on Spotify, SoundCloud, Deezer and Youtube, or find it directly on the ForestPaths website.

Check out the first episode in the series on Climate and Biodiversity-Smart forest management here.

Stay tuned for upcoming episodes as ForestPaths continues to bridge science and policy for a sustainable forest future.