Andorra Joins EU Pilot to Standardize Forest Monitoring

Andorra's Sustainability Group at Andorra Recerca + Innovació (AR+I), in collaboration with Ordino's Department of the Environment, has joined a European pilot project to standardize forest monitoring amid growing climate pressures.

During the second half of 2025, researchers established a monitoring plot in a black pine forest in Ordino parish as part of the EU-funded Horizon Europe PathFinder initiative. The effort aims to create a uniform model for tracking key forest variables across the continent, supplementing traditional inventories with data on carbon stocks and biodiversity indicators.

The 1,600-square-meter plot, located in an area of high ecological value set for inclusion in the future National Natural Park, captures characteristics typical of Andorra's woodlands. Fieldwork recorded tree metrics including average diameters, heights, decay levels, and regeneration rates. These forests reflect historical wood extraction practices, now marked by dense growth and expansion seen nationwide.

AR+I's on-site data collection will integrate into a broader continental framework, combining ground surveys with remote sensing products and modeling techniques. This approach seeks to enable high-quality co-registration of field measurements with satellite imagery, allowing scalable monitoring adaptable to any European country.

Project leaders anticipate the system will provide consistent, timely insights into forest health and carbon storage over time, strengthening responses to environmental threats. Ordino's plot represents a key test site, contributing Andorran data to pan-European efforts.