HIVE project

Welcome to the inaugural symposium

"BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS IN FORESTS"

6th -8th of May 2025

Forest Invasion Synthesis Centre, Prague

Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Dear Colleagues,

the Forest Invasion Synthesis Centre, Prague (FISC) at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague is pleased to invite you to the „Biological Invasions in Forest“, an Inaugural Symposium that aims to gather an interdisciplinary team of international experts to summarize the current state of scientific knowledge on biological invasions in forests. Along with other participants, we plant to brainstorm on opportunities for future synthetic socio-environmental research. We invite interested parties to attend the symposium in person or remotely and participate in the process. This is your chance to be part of the FISC effort and chart future research. We welcome new ideas for projects addressing any topics related to forest invasions.

Did you miss the in-person registration?

Join the symposium online via MS Teams!

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at fisc@fld.czu.cz

Yours faithfully,

Andrew „Sandy“ Liebhold, PhD
FISC Chief Scientist and ERA Chair Holder

prof. Ing. Róbert Marušák, PhD.
Dean of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences CZU Prague

Day	Time	Program

Tuesday, 6 May	Room:	HighTech Pavilion HT001
	12:00–13:30	Registration, meet, greet and eat lunch
	13:30–13:45	Welcome remarks, prof. Róbert Marušák (Dean of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences), prof. Tomáš Hlásny (Chair of the Forest Risk Research Centre)
	13:45–14:15	Andrew M. Liebhold (Chief Scientist, Forest Invasion Synthesis Centre, Prague), “Overview of the Forest Invasion Synthesis Centre, Prague and objectives of the Symposium”
	14:15–14:45	Prof. Petr Pyšek (Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences), “Macroecology of woody plants invasions”
	14:45/–15:30	Dr. Martin A. Nunez (University of Houston, USA), “Forest tree invasions”
	15:30–15:50	Coffee Break
	15:50–16:35	Thomas Wohlgemuth, (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Switzerland), “Role of non-native trees in future European forests”
	16:35–17:00	Discussion – Brainstorming research challenges about plants in forests
	17:00–18:00	Reception
	19:30	Dinner at restaurant Základna (Dlouhá 36, Old Town, Prague)
Wednesday, 7 May	Room:	HighTech Pavilion HT001
	9:00–9:45	Prof. Michael Wingfield (University of Pretoria, South Africa), “Forest health challenges in planted forests”
	9:45-10:30	Dr. Eckehard Brockerhoff (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Switzerland), “Biotic resistance against invasions: Contrasting plant and insect invaders”
	10:30–11:00	Alberto Santini (Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, Italy), “Biogeography of tree pathogen invasions”
	11:00–12:15	Discussion – Brainstorming research challenges about insect / disease invasions in forests
	12:15–13:15	Lunch
	13:15-13:35	Prof. Tomáš Hlásny (The Forest Risk Research Centre), “Forest disturbance monitoring in Europe and recent biotic disturbance trends”
	13:35–14:00	Prof. Songlin Fei (Purdue University, USA) “Landscape level survey of forest invaders”
	14:00–14:45	Dr. Kevin Chase (Bartlett Tree Company, Reading, UK), (“Invasions in Urban forests”
	14:45>–15:45	Brainstorming research challenges on invasion impacts and management
	15:451–16:05	Coffee Break
	16:05–17:30	Proposals from remote participants
Thursday, 8 May	Room:	L125
	9:00–9:45	Dr. Christelle Robinet (INRAE, France), “Modelling forest pest invasion risk and managemento”
	9:45–10:30	Dr. Rebeccca Epanchin-Niell (University of Maryland, USA), “Cost-effective forest biosecurity”
	10:30–10:45	Coffee break
	10:45–11:30	Mariella Marzano, Forest Research, UK, “Social aspects of forest invasions and their management”
	11:30–12:30	Brainstorming research challenges on invasion management
	12:30–13:30	Lunch
	13:30–14:00	Group discussion
	14:00–15:00	Breakout groups
	15:00–15:15	Coffee break
	15:15–16:30	Final discussion and finalization of plans

About the Forest Invasions Synthesis Centre, Prague

The widening gap in research capabilities across many EU countries, necessitates measures to accelerate research at institutions in newer member countries and better connect this research abroad. The Forest Invasion Synthesis Centre, Prague (FISC) at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague seeks an improved understanding of the ecology and management of biological invasions in forests. It is being established through the HIVE project (project no. 101187384) under Horizon Europe, the EU‘s primary funding program for research and innovation. FISC adopts the “synthesis centre” model that focuses on the use of existing data and models to develop new approaches to socio-environmental research. The Centre focuses on biological invasions of plants, insects and tree pathogens in forest and interactions with socioeconomic factors. FISC will host scientific working groups that meet at the Centre to develop collaborations on breakthrough ideas in the field of invasion science.

Accommodation and directions

We recommend accommodation in the Grand Hotel International Prague – address Koulova 1501/15, 160 45 Prague 6, www.hotelint.cz.

How to get from the airport to the Grand Hotel International Prague

Public transportation in Prague is very good and inexpensive. To access to the hotel from the airport, take Bus No 119 from Terminal 2, stop Nádraží Veleslavín (15 min) – change to metro Line A from Nádraží Veleslavín to station Dejvická (2nd Metro station, 10 min) – change to bus line No 107 from Dejvická to station Čínská (1st Bus station, 5 min)). Instead of taking the bus from Dejvická to the Hotel you can alternatively walk (10-15 minutes).

Venue and directions

Forest Invasion Synthesis Centre, Prague (FISC) is situated at the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czechia.

How to get from the Grand Hotel International Prague to the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences

From the Grand Hotel International Prague take bus line No 107 or 147 from bus station Čínská (opposite side of road to Hotel) to bus station Zemědělská univerzita (8th Bus station, 10 min) then walk to the Faculty of Forestry.