Background Climate influences the structure and function of forest ecosystems and plays a crucial role in forest health. Climate change could directly or indirectly affect the growth and productivity of forests and may worsen many potential threats, such as fires, human development or drought. The Haut Languedoc forest covers an area of more than 200 000 hectares. This mountainous and rural area is located at the intersection of the Mediterranean and Atlantic bio-regions. As a result, it is an ecosystem that is highly sensitive to the impacts of climate change, as can be seen in areas of reforestation following the forest fires of 2003. Such impacts are expected to become more pronounced in future. There is a lack of information and tools for forest managers and stakeholders in the forestry-wood sector which increases the vulnerability of this natural habitat and economic environment to future threats. The development of such tools will help guarantee the sustainability and resilience of forest ecosystems. Objectives The main objective of the LIFE FORECCAsT project is to provide forest owners and the managers of the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut Languedoc with the means to build their management strategy, taking climate change scenarios into consideration, in order to protect territorial forest ecosystems and ensure a dynamic forestry sector in compliance with environmental, economic and social challenges. To reach this overall objective, the following specific goals are foreseen: To develop methodologies and tools to help decision-making for the forestry-wood sector, in order to better anticipate and integrate risks identified in different climate change scenarios; To incorporate field observations in order to improve the usefulness of the decision-making tool developed by the project, FORECCAsT; To make a list of bio-indicators that will form the basis of a monitoring system on the effects of climate change on woodland biodiversity; To protect vulnerable ecosystems, in particular the natural habitats of community interest in the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut Languedoc; To put forward adaptation strategies for forestry and genetic resources in line with levels of risk. Strategies include alternative production systems and a better understanding of biodiversity and the risk of forest fire; To suggest procedures of post-event analysis and reaction in order to provide forest managers with an action plan in case of climate-related crises; To raise awareness in the whole forestry-wood sector on future risks and the necessity of acting now to protect the industry; and To raise awareness among local populations of these issues by explaining the challenges and possible options, as well as future modifications. Expected results: The project expects to achieve the following results: Creation and dissemination of the FORECCAsT tool: this digital application will include climate, topographical and pedagogical parameters to help decision-making; 10 test description reports with details on technical and economic consequences of new forestry practices on existing forest plots (14-20 trials of methods to improve adaptation and resilience to climate change will take place in 15-30 ha of forest); 12 test description reports based on experiments of new forestry practices on new forest plots (comprising 10 plantation tests in 12-15 ha plots on 15 to 20 different tree species and organisation methods for better adaptation to risk); Creation and distribution of an action plan for crisis management: 150 to 180 managers will be better informed and prepared to act during the next climate crisis thanks to better stakeholder participation and identification of the responsibility of each partner during a climate crisis; Development of a training module for the FORECCAsT tool and creation of a central advisory group of forest managers in the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut Languedoc with 120 to 180 participants, who will use the diagnostic tool and also encourage more widespread use (transferability); and Communication actions such as demonstration sessions on test sites with forest owners and managers, participation at forestry industry events and a range of obligatory communications activities (website etc.).