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Seven European universities and research institutions from four countries agreed to collaborate on the ASFORCLIC - HORIZON 2020 project to support the ambitious goals of raising the leading institution's MENDELU research profile and strengthening its research excellence in the highly demanding field of assessing the impact of global climate change on forests and the bio-based sector. The ASFORCLIC consortium evaluates possible risk factors, predicts their evolution, and develops adaption strategies for future applications to monitor the impact of global climate change on central European forestry, particularly Czech forestry. Facing the unprecedented challenge of implementing a mobility project during the COVID-19 pandemic, the consortium used strategic approaches and augmented offerings, including successful literature seminars, writing workshops, and advanced data evaluation training largely realized through virtual platforms.

European forests are undergoing an important transition due to the current climate change, as monocultures are being gradually replaced by mixed forests. Understanding tree growth in mixed forests under a changing climate is challenging because of tree species’ adaptation and long-term forest planning. In this study, we evaluate the long-term behaviour of Norway spruce (Picea abies), silver fir (Abies alba) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica) from a low montane range at the Czech-Austrian border. Species-specific tree-ring width chronologies have revealed significantly decreasing growth trends since the 2000s. Temporally unstable climate–growth relationships showed an increasing negative effect of current growing season drought on spruce growth and a positive effect of dormant season temperature on fir and beech growth. Our results suggest that though species’ response to climate change differs in the mixed forest, growth reduction in the last years has been proved for all species, likely due to frequent climate extremes.

Common Agricultural Policy of EU means to transform the system of farm subsidies in the European Union. The conditions of direct payments in the frame of the new system under the common agriculture policy reform are called “single payment scheme“(SPS). Statutory management requirements and rules of good agricultural and environmental conditions are called collectively as cross-compliance. Since January 1, 2009 complying with the system of complete cross-compliance rules will be the condition for claiming direct payments also in the Czech Republic. The system of cross-compliance will be applied not only in the case of direct payments, but also in the case of subsidies from European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

Zu Beethovens Brief an die unsterbliche Geliebte (Psychologische und medizinische Aspekte)