The focus of the AFE Group is to generate knowledge and develop state-of-the-art modeling tools to advance the scientific community and support policies that enable better understanding and management of global and regional agriculture, forestry, and natural land ecosystems.

The basis for improved assessment and management of natural resources is a deep understanding of complex and interacting biophysical processes within terrestrial ecosystems. The AFE Group aims to achieve a leading position in addressing research questions requiring integrated analyses of agriculture, forestry, and natural land ecosystems at global and regional levels.

The group’s strategic ambition of biophysical tool integration for, among others, the assessment of nature-based/climate solutions, landscape restoration options, agro-forestry, or future cropland management, is at the core of the IIASA research domain on biodiversity and ecosystem services. With sustainability and biodiversity aspects as cross-cutting environmental safeguards, the group is closely aligned with the strategic direction of its host program on Biodiversity and Natural Resources. This structural and strategic setup will ensure that AFE becomes a valuable research pillar and contributor to the overarching IIASA strategy.

Models, tools, datasets

Pine tree forest

Russian Forests and Forestry Database

Forest burning

Wildfire climate impacts and adaptation model (FLAM)

Forestry and logging

Global Forest Model (G4M)

Fields

The Environmental Policy Integrated Climate-based global gridded crop model (EPIC-IIASA)

Projects

Lamasus

Land Management for Sustainability (LAMASUS)

Forest Fire in the summer season

Integrated Future Wildfire Hot Spot Mapping for Austria (Austria Fire Futures )

Extreme events

The Human-Tech Nexus - Building a Safe Haven to Cope with Climate Extremes (HuT)

Tropical Forest and deforested area

RESTORE+: Addressing Landscape Restoration on Degraded Land in Indonesia and Brazil

Staff

Placeholder, because no staff image is available

Yoshiki Yamagata

Guest Senior Research Scholar (AFE)

Shubham Tiwari profile picture

Shubham Tiwari

Research Scholar (AFE)

Pavel Kiparisov profile picture

Pavel Kiparisov

Researcher (AFE)

Lei Wang profile picture

Lei Wang

Guest Research Scholar (AFE)

News

Greece Delegation Visit

24 January 2025

Delegation from Greece visits IIASA to explore further collaborations

On 23 January 2025, IIASA was honored to receive a high-level delegation from Greece, visiting to learn about the institute’s research on wildfires, urban planning, wind and solar energy, as well as to explore opportunities for future collaboration.
Moose-damaged young pine forest at Bodträsket, Kalix municipality, Norrbotten.

12 December 2024

Moose Browsing Damage in Swedish Forests

A new report, “Browsing Damage - What is Happening in the Forest and What Happens in the Statistics?”, published by the Swedish Forest Agency, provides new insights on the ongoing debate surrounding moose management and its impact on Sweden's forests.  Co-authored by Agriculture, Forestry, and Ecosystem Services (AFE) researcher Oskar Franklin and scientists from Sweden, the report highlights the complex relationship between moose populations, pine tree densities, and browsing damage from both statistical and biological perspectives. 
Ecosystem restoration

05 November 2024

How ecosystem restoration benefits national policies

IIASA scientists show that preserving ecosystems and fostering socioeconomic development is not a trade-off. On the contrary, an integrated approach is beneficial to national policies. We share examples from India, Brazil, and Indonesia.

Events

Focus

09 April 2024

Forest science and education in Ukraine: Priorities for action

Ukraine’s forest sector is suffering unprecedented challenges. War has impacted both forests and forestry – devastating forest areas, infrastructure and industry, as well as causing ‘brain drain’ and capacity loss due to the disruption of research institutions and the displacement of students and scientists. These impacts are compounded by factors including climate change, unstable forest health dynamics, landscape fires, and an overall decrease in forest productivity.
Pine trees
Amazon forest

24 February 2022

The number of tree species on Earth

Since humans have walked this planet, we have loved categorizing things and ecology is no exception. One of the most basic ecological questions has always been the simple question of “how many?”

Publications