Representatives of NUBiP of Ukraine took part in the International summer school on dendroscience and forest resilience to climate change

On August 24-29, 2026, lecturers of NUBiP of Ukraine — candidate of agricultural sciences, associate professor of the department of forest taxation and forest management Volodymyr BLYSHCHYK, candidate of agricultural sciences, associate professor of the department of landscape architecture and phytodesign Olesya PIKHALO, candidate of biological sciences, associate professor of the department of botany, dendrology and forest breeding Andriy CHURILOV, as well as Master's student Maria MYRONYUK, took part in the International summer school «Dendroscience as a tool to understand the future forest resilience to climate change,» held in the city of Brașov (Romania).

The summer school was organized by the National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry «Marin Drăcea» (INCDS) as part of an international project ForestValue2 – Innovating Forest-based Bioeconomy implemented with the support of the program Horizon Europe. The event was held with the assistance of the Transilvania University of Brașov and within the framework of Work Package 6, dedicated to joint educational events for young scientists and researchers.

The main theme of the summer school was the use of dendroscience and dendrochronological methods for assessing the impact of droughts, the relationship between climate and tree growth, and the resilience of forest ecosystems to climate change. Participants had the opportunity to deepen their theoretical knowledge and get acquainted with modern approaches to the use of tree rings as a natural archive of information about changes in environmental conditions.

The program included a combination of theoretical classes and practical work. Considerable attention was paid to the basics of dendrochronology, methods of selection and preparation of wood samples, measurement of parameters of annual rings, construction of dendrochronological scales and interpretation of the data obtained. Separate training blocks were devoted to assessment of the stability of trees and stands, analysis of indicator years, as well as the study of the relationship between climate factors and radial tree growth at different time scales.

An important component of the training was understanding how the results of dendrochronological studies can be used not only in basic science, but also in practical Forestry. Analysis of long-term growth dynamics makes it possible to identify the response of trees to droughts and other climate stresses, assess their recovery capacity and predict potential risks to forest ecosystems in the future.

The summer school was lectured by leading experts in the field of dendrochronology. Among them — Tom LEVANIC from the Slovenian Forestry Institute and Ionel POPA, head of the laboratory of dendrochronology and wood anatomy of the National Institute of Forestry Research and Development «Marin Drăcea». Their experience allowed participants to get acquainted with modern European approaches to studying the response of forests to climate change.

The international environment was particularly valuable for the event. The summer school was attended by representatives of scientific and educational institutions from Central and Eastern Europe, in particular Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Baltic states, Ukraine and Moldova. This created opportunities for professional exchange, discussion of joint research problems and the beginning of new scientific contacts.

For representatives of NUBiP of Ukraine, participation in the school has become an important opportunity to expand their professional competencies in the field of dendrochronology, forest ecology, and assessment of the resilience of tree ecosystems to climate change. The acquired knowledge can be used in further scientific research, in particular in the analysis of the response of forest stands in Ukraine to droughts, temperature extremes and other manifestations of modern climate change.

At the same time, the participation of university lecturers in such international training programs is important for the development of the educational process. Modern methods presented during the summer school can be integrated into academic disciplines, research work of students and undergraduates, as well as used for the development of new research areas on the basis of NUBiP of Ukraine.

The Summer school in Brașov has become not only a platform for gaining new knowledge, but also a space for international scientific communication and formation of professional ties. This is especially relevant for Ukraine, where the issue of increasing the resilience of forests to climate change is becoming increasingly important. The combination of dendrochronological data with modern approaches to assessing the state and sustainability of forest ecosystems opens up new opportunities for scientific justification of adaptation measures in forestry.

Participation of representatives of NUBiP of Ukraine in the International summer school ForestValue2 is an important step in the development of international cooperation of the University, deepening the integration of Ukrainian researchers into the European scientific space and increasing the ability of university science to respond to modern challenges related to climate change and ensuring the future sustainability of forests.