EPIFOR

Starting March 2023, we are studying the continuity and naturalness of forests and the impact of climate change on forest biodiversity using macrolichens and epiphytic bryophytes. This project is funded by SPW (Wallonia public administration). It is a collaboration between University of Louvain-la-Neuve, University of Liège and Epiphytia. The four main goals of the project are:

1. Study of macrolichens/epiphytic bryophytes along a gradient of managed forests/old-growth and highly natural forests

2. Assessment of the impact of anthropogenic activities on the state of health of Walloon forests

3. Development of an evaluation tool accessible to forest managers for long-term monitoring

4. Create management measures to implement a network of protected forest areas

Since the summer of 2023, Alain Vanderpoorten, Lea Mouton, Virginie Hustemekers and their student Océane Piot from La Reid school have been traveling through Wallonia to inventory epiphytic bryophytes and place climatic micro-dataloggers for EPIFOR.