ICP Forests

The International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests (ICP Forests) is a long‑standing pan‑European forest monitoring network operating under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention, formerly CLRTAP) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Established in 1985, it assesses the effects of air pollution, climate change and other stressors on forest ecosystems through a large-scale monitoring system. The programme covers more than 6,000 Level I plots across Europe on a systematic grid and over 600 Level II intensive monitoring sites that help identify cause–effect relationships. Today, more than 40 countries (along with the USA and Canada) contribute data, making ICP Forests one of the world’s most comprehensive forest monitoring initiatives.