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Although native to Australia, Eucalyptus species are found throughout Europe. At present, they are located mainly in the Iberian Peninsula and Eucalyptus globulus is the most commonly planted species. Climate forecasts anticipate an expansion of Eucalyptus to other regions of Europe. The fast growth of E. globulus, together with its resprouting ability and wood properties, has promoted the use of this species in the Iberian Peninsula. The total volume of E. globulus harvested there was close to 14 million m3 in 2019. Eucalyptus species represent the main source of raw material for the pulp and paper industries and provide an important source of income to non-industrial owners. Being exotic fast-growing trees, their expansion has also been associated with negative environmental impacts. The species therefore poses a series of challenges, while also generating opportunities. The objectives of this review paper are: (1) to summarize the importance of Eucalyptus plantations in Europe; (2) to analyse the opportunities and challenges of this genus in present and future plantations in Europe; (3) to assess to what extent forest management, at both stand and landscape levels, can reduce negative impacts; (4) to make policy and management recommendations that may support the use of this genus in other European regions. These aims are accomplished based on a thorough literature review, particularly focused on research developed in the Iberian Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a model to predict annual wildfire risk in pure and evenaged eucalypt stands in Portugal. Emphasis was in developing a management- oriented model, i.e., a model that might both: (a) help assess wildfire occurrence probability as a function of readily available forest inventory data; and (b) help predict the effects of management options (e.g., silvicultural treatments) on the risk of fire in eucalypt stands. Data from both the 1995/1998 and the 2005/2006 Portuguese National Forest Inventories as well as wildfire perimeters' data were used for modeling purposes. Specifically, this research considered 1122 inventory plots with approximately 1.2 million trees and 85 wildfire perimeters. The model to predict the probability of wildfire occurrence is a logistic function of measurable and controllable biometric and environmental variables. Results showed that wildfire occurrence probability in a stand increases with the ratio basal area/quadratic mean diameter and with the shrubs biomass load, while it decreases with stand dominant height. They further showed that the probability of wildfire occurrence is higher in stands that are over 1 Km distant from roads. These results are instrumental for assessing the impact of forest management options on wildfire risk levels thus helping forest managers develop plans that may mitigate wildfire impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]