The Société Royale Forestière de Belgique (SRFB, Belgium), in partnership with theMendel University in Brno (MENDELU, Czech Republic), the‘Institute de Genech (UFA, France), the’the Institut Technique Horticole of Gembloux (ITH, Belgium) and the Chimay Agroforestry Development Centre (CDAF, Belgium), has launched a new Erasmus+ project called "ForDiL" for "forest digital learning". This project aims to promote learning about the continuous cover forestry (CCF) approach using digital tools.

CCF

The CCF approach is an ecosystem-based, integrative approach that favours the maintenance, conservation, and use of forests in their multifunctionalities. This approach is based on many principles, such as maintaining forest cover and protecting rare species. These principles may vary according to country specificities but are generally based on understanding, using and respecting the natural dynamics of forest ecosystems from an economic, environmental and social perspective. The SMCC approach promotes the resilience of forest ecosystems, a fundamental challenge in climate change so that healthy, multifunctional forests can be passed on to future generations.

Marteloscope/Travailloscope

These teaching tools enable learners to assess the impact of interventions in the forest.
In concrete terms, a ‘marteloscope’ is a forestry site, generally rectangular, with a surface area of one hectare, where all the trees are numbered, mapped and recorded. Based on this data and the results of the fictitious hammering carried out by the learner, a software will guide and assess the learner's choices in terms of tree felling/conservation.
A travailloscope works on the same basic model but aims to test the results of different silvicultural operations and the impacts (economic, ecological) favourable or unfavourable to irregular stand management.
These exercise workshops will enable learners, individually or in groups, to practise in the field, drawing up reports, compare and discuss results.