Forest restoration in practice – lessons learned from 12 demo sites

Gesche Schifferdecker on January 23, 2026

SUBERB demo sites

Restoring forests is as much a social, institutional, and economic endeavor as it is an ecological one. Across regions, landscapes, and governance contexts, restoration initiatives have generated a wealth of experience – what worked, what didn’t, and what must change to achieve lasting impact. This Lessons Learned booklet brings together insights from our 12 large-scale restoration sites, grounded in real-world practice rather than theory alone.

The lessons presented here are not prescriptive recipes. Instead, they highlight recurring patterns, critical success factors, and persistent bottlenecks encountered in forest restoration efforts. Together, they underline a central truth: successful restoration is a long-term process that depends on people, policies, and institutions working in concert with ecological systems.

By distilling these lessons, the booklet aims to support practitioners, decision-makers, and funders in designing restoration efforts that are durable, scalable, and context-sensitive – moving from isolated projects toward sustained landscape transformation.

Key Messages

  1. Forest restoration is a long-term commitment.
    Restoration cannot be achieved through one-off interventions; it requires sustained engagement, adaptive management, and long-term vision.
  2. Disturbance can be a catalyst for change.
    Catastrophic natural events – particularly in single-species monocultures – often expose structural vulnerabilities and can trigger more ambitious and transformative restoration efforts.
  3. Local communities are central to success.
    Communities are not only beneficiaries but essential partners in restoration. Meaningful involvement must begin early and be supported through continuous, trust-building processes.
  4. Finance and institutions matter – but gaps remain.
    Stable public funding and institutional support are fundamental. At present, voluntary private finance mechanisms fall short of delivering the scale and reliability needed for restoration.
  5. Demonstration sites accelerate learning.
    Practical demonstrations provide tested and transferable models, showing how restoration can work across diverse ecological and socio-economic contexts.
  6. Restoration costs are highly variable.
    Costs depend on landscape conditions, the intensity and complexity of measures, spatial fragmentation, and opportunity costs for land users.
  7. Scaling up requires policy alignment.
    Successful upscaling depends on aligning local practices and needs with broader policy frameworks and regulatory environments.
  8. Knowledge infrastructures ensure lasting impact.
    Systems for consolidating and sharing knowledge are essential to move beyond individual projects and to support institutions responsible for national restoration planning.

SUPERB researchers: EU Nature Restoration Regulation can support future-ready forestry and reduce conflicts in Sweden

Gesche Schifferdecker on January 7, 2026

Prescribed burning (photo: Gesche Schifferdecker)

A recently published paper An ambitious and science-based implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation could help transform forestry toward greater sustainability and fewer conflicts, according to SUPERB researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). In contrast, a minimal or restrictive approach risks prolonging uncertainty, controversy, and polarization in the forestry debate.

In a recent paper with the title “The EU Nature Restoration Regulation offers new opportunities for resilient forests and sustainable forestry“, published in the scientific journal Ambio, SLU researchers Johan Svensson and Bengt Gunnar Jonsson (both SUPERB) as well as Torbjörn Ebenhard analyze how the regulation may be implemented in Sweden’s forests. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation requires restoration measures on at least 20% of land and sea areas by 2030, and obliges Member States to base their actions on the best available and most up-to-date scientific knowledge. Sweden, like other EU countries, is currently developing its national restoration plan.

A key issue highlighted in the paper is how so-called “favorable reference areas” are defined. These areas represent the minimum extent needed to ensure the long-term viability of habitats and species protected under the EU Species and Habitats Directive. The Swedish government has decided to base forest reference areas on estimates from 1995, when Sweden joined the EU. According to the researchers, this decision departs from current scientific knowledge and risks cementing existing ambiguities and conflicts in forestry.

“Setting restoration ambitions at an absolute minimum level will not help Sweden meet environmental goals or international commitments,” says Johan Svensson. “It also risks continued conflict for forest owners and operators, damage to Sweden’s reputation as a forest nation, and criticism from the EU.”

The researchers argue that the regulation should instead be seen as an opportunity to adapt forestry to future challenges. By considering forests as multifunctional landscapes – rather than focusing narrowly on timber production or conservation – the regulation can encourage alternative forestry methods, new value chains, and more resilient ecosystems.

They also note that the regulation could help establish measurable criteria for biodiversity-friendly forestry, something that is currently lacking. Drawing on historical experience, the authors emphasize that restoration is not about recreating the past, but about shaping a sustainable and credible future for forestry.

Reference: Svensson, J., Jonsson, B. G., & Ebenhard, T. (2025). The EU Nature Restoration Regulation offers new opportunities for resilient forests and sustainable forestry. Ambio. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02309-3

Featured image: According to the SLU researchers, prescribed burning is an example of a concrete and simple restoration of biodiversity linked to fire. This type of restoration can be carried out in forests with nature conservation objectives, but also in areas left untouched in forests with production objectives (photo: Gesche Schifferdecker).

What motivates forest owners to join biodiversity restoration schemes?

Daria Kononenko on October 17, 2025

A new study from the SUPERB project, published in Restoration Ecology, explored how forest owners in Denmark and Finland respond to different kinds of agreements for supporting biodiversity in their forests. 

The research showed that many owners want much higher compensation to join result-based schemes, where payments depend on proven improvements in biodiversity. In Finland, owners asked for more than double compared to action-based schemes, which simply pay for carrying out agreed management practices (like planting or habitat protection). 

Preferences also varied by country: Danish owners welcomed outside consultant support, while Finnish owners preferred to do self-monitoring under action-based contracts – but disliked monitoring when payments depended on biodiversity results. 

Overall, the study highlights that restoring nature on private land will only succeed if agreements are designed to fit both the practical needs of forest owners and the ecological goals of restoration. This insight is particularly important as the EU shapes its new Forest Strategy for 2030. 

Read the study here

Full reference: Süring, C. M., & Lundhede, T. H. (2025). Private forest owner preferences for action- and result-based biodiversity restoration contracts – A discrete choice experiment in Denmark and Finland. Forest Policy and Economics, 169, 103609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2025.103609

Photo: Punyawee / Adobe Stock

What drives public support for forest restoration in Europe?

Daria Kononenko on September 17, 2025

New research from the SUPERB project, published in Ecosystems and People, compares public attitudes toward forest restoration in Sweden and Spain. The study highlights how social and cultural factors shape people’s support.

The results show contrasting patterns: in Sweden, older people are more supportive of restoration, while in Spain, younger generations show stronger backing. Longer travel times to forests reduce support, especially in Northern Sweden. Across both countries, positive views of forest benefits such as biodiversity, recreation, and risk reduction boost support, while seeing forests mainly as resources for exploitation lowers it.

These findings underline the need for restoration strategies that are tailored to local perceptions and values. For the EU’s Nature Restoration Regulation to succeed, policies must go beyond ecology and engage people where they are, reflecting different regional priorities – from wildfire resilience in Mediterranean Spain to biodiversity protection in boreal Sweden.

Read the study here!

Full reference: Kazungu, M., Svensson, J., Erdozain, M., de-Dios-García, J., Granberg, Å., & Hunziker, M. (2025). Factors influencing public support for forest restoration in Europe: Evidence from Sweden and Spain. Forest Policy and Economics. https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2025.2554695 

Photo: Best / Adobe Stock

Five steps for successful restoration: How can EU countries make the most of the new Nature Restoration Regulation?

Daria Kononenko on July 7, 2025

As the EU’s Nature Restoration Regulation came into force, the big question is how countries can turn its ambition into action? A new study from the SUPERB project, published in Restoration Ecology, draws lessons from Germany and proposes five essential conditions for effective national restoration strategies.

These include building broader public support for restoration efforts, setting clear and measurable national targets, aligning restoration with other land-use priorities, ensuring strong legal and institutional support, and making restoration more attractive to landowners and managers.

Although based on the German context, the study’s findings are designed to help all EU countries prepare their national restoration plans, which must be drafted by September 2026. With ecosystems still under pressure and biodiversity in decline, the authors argue that Member States must seize this opportunity to move beyond paper goals and invest in meaningful on-the-ground action.

Read the full study here to learn more about the five steps.

Reference: Elisabeth Marquard, Moritz Hermsdorf, Henriette Dahms, Katharina Schleicher, Sebastian Strunz, Mechthild Baron, Markus Salomon, Hannah-Lea Schmid, Sophie Wiegand, Claudia Hornberg, Nina Farwig, Volkmar Wolters, Jürgen Bauhus, Peter H. Feindt, Wolfgang Köck, Josef Settele

Photo: Tanakorn / Adobe Stock

How close should trees stand? New SUPERB study on planting density in forest restoration

Daria Kononenko on June 27, 2025

A new study from the SUPERB project, published in Restoration Ecology, shows that planting density strongly influences forest restoration outcomes – but the effects are complex and context-dependent. 

After reviewing 120 studies from temperate and boreal forests, researchers found that higher planting densities tend to boost overall stand yield and carbon storage, especially in early stages. However, it also leads to increased tree mortality and reduced growth of individual trees. The timing and intensity of these opposing effects depend on various factors, such as plantation age and climate type, which creates opportunities for optimized management strategies. 

Over time, thinning becomes essential in longer-term plantations to maintain tree growth and quality. Where data is limited, moderate densities may offer a balanced approach. 

The study also calls for more localized research on tree health and biomass to help tailor restoration strategies to specific environments. 

Read the full study here

Reference: Klaus Kremer, Bengt-Gunnar Jonsson, Mayra F. Tavares, Jürgen Bauhus

Photo: Marek Piwnicki / Pexels 

Mixed-species plantations can support biodiversity – but context matters, new SUPERB study finds

Daria Kononenko on May 14, 2025

A new study from the SUPERB project, published in Biological Conservation, takes a close look at one key question: Are mixed-species plantations better for biodiversity than monocultures?

Based on a global review of 71 scientific studies, the answer is: yes, often – but not always.

The results point to a clear trend: mixing species tends to support greater biodiversity overall, especially for birds, litter microbiota, understory plants, and arthropods. But the picture isn’t uniform. In many cases, no major differences were found – highlighting that outcomes depend on factors like region, species used, or plantation age.

What else was found

  • The more tree species in the mix, the stronger the biodiversity effect.
  • Warmer climates showed stronger positive effects than temperate or continental ones.
  • Native species mixtures tended to support biodiversity more than non-native combinations.

Most of the plantations studied were still relatively young. The authors note that biodiversity gains often take time to emerge and call for more research in older and more varied plantation settings.

Read on the full paper here

Photo: KM Wong / Pexels

How Europe’s restoration projects are shaping national plans

Daria Kononenko on May 8, 2025

Across Europe, there are 71 restoration sites — from Ireland’s peatlands to Romania’s forests. Since 2021, SUPERB and its sister projects MERLIN, REST-COAST and WaterLANDS have been working on the ground to restore forests, wetlands, rivers, and coasts, all funded under the Green Deal. 

Now the projects’ findings are helping countries draft National Restoration Plans (NRPs) — a key requirement under the EU’s new Nature Restoration Regulation. 

To support this process, over 100 experts — scientists, policymakers, and local stakeholders — met at the European Commission on 10 March 2025. The meeting focused on what has worked in practice, where challenges remain, and how field-based experience can help Member States design effective NRPs. 

The report Supporting the Development of National Restoration Plans brings together what’s been learned so far — practical tools, examples, and ideas that can help shape national restoration plans, including from SUPERB’s side: 

  • A soon-to-launch Forest Knowledge Gateway with guides on tree selection, funding, and more. 
  • Case studies from SUPERB’s 12 demonstration sites. 
  • Policy maps showing where national laws align or clash with restoration goals. 

With draft NRPs due by September 2026, SUPERB’s work aims at helping national partners to implement these tools — from policy alignment frameworks to site-specific restoration strategies tested across its demonstration area network. 

Read on the full report here

Photo: Anat art / Adobe Stock

The current state, opportunities and challenges for upscaling private investment in biodiversity in Europe

superbadmin on February 6, 2025

Following three years of work, SUPERB researchers Sophus zu Ermgassen, Qian Liu, Thomas Lundhede, Bo Jellesmark Thorsen, and Joe W Bull recently published the paper The current state, opportunities and challenges for upscaling private investment in biodiversity in Europe in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

The analysis presented in the article is based on exchange in three focus groups with biodiversity finance experts organized as part of SUPERB, and interviews with 25 experts in the field. The scientific study explores both opportunities and challenges in increasing private investment in nature. It emphasizes that on the positive side, economic changes, new regulations, and innovations in finance and technology could boost investment. However, challenges remain—many projects are not highly profitable, investors are wary of risks, and there are concerns that nature markets could worsen inequalities. Governments play a key role, both helping and hindering investment due to conflicting policies and lack of coordination. For example, farm subsidies often work against nature markets. Investors want risks reduced, yet government policies create uncertainty. The study emphasizes that private investment in nature depends heavily on public policy. The authors suggest that governments should create and manage these markets, but it’s unclear if this approach is more effective than direct public funding.

Photo: Oulailux/ Adobe Stock

10 Things We Can All Learn from the Evolution of Forest Restoration Initiatives in Europe 

Shan Gao on December 19, 2024

By Maitane Erdozain Ibarra, CTFC & Rina Tsubaki, EFI.

Forest restoration is far more than a modern buzzword—its history runs deeper than most realize. Yet, despite decades of effort, the lack of proper documentation of successes and failures has prevented us from truly learning from the past.  

Today, the global push for forest restoration is stronger than at any point in history. Initiatives like the European Nature Restoration Law are sparking hope and action. Now, more than ever, we need to look back and reflect on how forest restoration efforts have evolved, what sparked change, and what lessons past and present initiatives can offer. That will empower us to make forest restoration efforts more effective, impactful, and grounded — both now and in the future. 

A Europe-wide Study to Explore Trends, Patterns and Drivers of Forest Restoration 

Led by Maitane Erdozain and Sergio de Miguel from the Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC) and the University of Lleida (UDL), we published a study that examined narratives from 32 forest restoration experts in 18 European countries to uncover the history of forest restoration in Europe. The study asked experts to delve into six key areas—social, economic, political, technical, environmental and legal— to understand different drivers that shaped forest restoration across Europe. 

The analysis revealed fascinating trends and patterns. Early restoration efforts in central and southern Europe often arose in response to crises like natural disasters and timber shortages. While these initiatives were effective for erosion control and timber production, they often relied on monocultures and short rotations, limiting ecological benefits. The geopolitical upheavals of the 20th century pushed timber production to the forefront, with centralized management that usually favored productivity over biodiversity. Since the 1990s, however, we have started to see a shift: restoration now strives to balance environmental, social, and economic goals, driven by a growing appreciation for the multifunctionality of forests. 

Lessons from Successes and Failures in the Past and Present 

So, what are the drivers that shaped the development of forest restoration in Europe that we can learn from both the past and present?  

Here are 10 lessons we learned: 

  1. Natural disasters as catalysts: Major natural disturbances (floods, shifting sands etc.) triggered early restoration efforts in many countries. Over the past decades, environmental crises (climatic, biodiversity, water etc.) have also influenced the type of restoration that is conducted. 
  1. Geopolitical turmoil forces change: Wars greatly contributed to forest degradation through direct destruction and overexploitation, but they also prompted large-scale afforestation campaigns to address timber shortages. These initiatives shaped today’s forests, showing how crises can simultaneously hinder and drive restoration progress. 
  1. Forest ownership and governance: Centralized forest governance often enabled large-scale restoration success, while fragmented ownership often slowed down restoration progress. Innovative governance mechanisms are needed to address the issue of fragmentation, where many small landowners hold land rights.
  1. Funding mechanisms: Lack of funding has been a longstanding obstacle, but there are examples of strong and stable funding mechanisms throughout history.  Although EU funding has been instrumental in shifting the types of restoration implemented, there is an urgent need for innovative funding sources (e.g., private) and mechanisms that are long-term and resilient to political and market fluctuations. 
  1. Market fluctuations: Shifts in demand for products like timber and fuelwood significantly shaped restoration strategies. Future efforts should integrate marketable benefits from different ecosystem services to sustain landowner engagement and secure lasting outcomes. 
  1. The role of sociodemographics and social values: Rural abandonment tends to reduce land-use conflicts but can lead to new challenges like unmanaged forests. Increasing environmental awareness and recreational demands from society have diversified restoration objectives. These findings underscore the need for active rural engagement and public education to balance priorities. 
  1. Policies as guiding forces: Strict yet balanced national policies that integrate ecological protection with socioeconomic benefits, alongside ambitious international policies and the creation of institutions specialized in restoration, have been pivotal in driving progress and inspiring coordinated restoration strategies. 
  1. Converging drivers accelerate change: Restoration succeeds when environmental, social, economic and political factors align. Historical examples show that isolated drivers rarely catalyze change; a multidimensional approach is essential to create transformative impacts. 
  1. Conflicts hinder progress: Competing objectives, such as agriculture versus forest land uses, or timber production versus conservation, remain major obstacles. Addressing conflicts—both among stakeholders and policies—requires a holistic landscape approach that simultaneously addresses many challenges that society faces. 
  1. Short-term fixes, long-term risks: Lastly, the historical accounts demonstrate that restoration efforts with a short-term vision often create future vulnerabilities. Long-term thinking that acknowledges the interconnectedness of our systems is crucial for successful forest restoration that benefits ecosystems and communities.  
Infographic by Shanqing Gao, EFI

Embracing the Past and Building a Better Future

From this study, we learned the importance of blending historical insights with contemporary strategies to guide more sustainable and impactful forest restoration. By learning from past successes and failures, policymakers and practitioners can avoid repeating mistakes and leverage effective solutions. We hope the lessons uncovered in this research will be crucial for implementing the new Nature Restoration Law to ensure its ambitions are translated into large-scale, real-world impact across Europe. 

Reference: Erdozain, M., Alberdi, I., Aszalos, R. et al. The Evolution of Forest Restoration in Europe: A Synthesis for a Step Forward Based on National Expert Knowledge. Curr. For. Rep. 11, 4 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/40725-024-00235-3

Read the full study here.