More than a century of history and evolution counts or Wood science and the Forestry In Greece, with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) playing a decisive role in the development of research and education in this area. The contribution of the School of Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Environment of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is to emerge at a special event, as part of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Foundation, which will take place on Wednesday, September 24, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

On the occasion of the event, the professor of the School of Agriculture, Forestry & Natural Environment, Philippe Aravanopoulos, spoke to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency about the school’s journey, its achievements and the contemporary challenges. According to the professor, “in our country, the research conducted in the Forestry Department is the most important by a forest institution in Greece, is international and is done in collaboration with the largest university institutions.”

Referring to the attendance of students, Mr. Aravanopoulos notes that although it is not always the first choice for all, many students consciously choose to continue their studies after the first year. Forestry science in Greece has its roots a century ago, while forestry has been about two centuries. As the professor points out, the Forestry School was founded in Athens about 110 years ago and this year marks 100 years since its operation at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

However, the implementation of the Forestry in our country began much earlier, with the establishment of the Hellenic Forest Service in 1836, when Otto brought Bavarian foresters to Greece. During the last hundred years, the needs that forest science have to meet have changed significantly. Initially, the main issue was the rational exploitation of forests – the management of timber based on the sustainability of the fruit. Today, the protection of the natural environment, natural resources and biodiversity is the main objective, with forestry emphasizing multiple uses and mainly on protection, rather than exploitation.

Climate change and forest ecosystems

Mr. Aravanopoulos emphasizes that the biggest threat to Greece’s forest ecosystems is climate changewhich evolves at high speed. As he notes, “we have not yet reached the point of crisis”, but the risk remains, as rising average temperature will lead to more extreme phenomena. He also stresses that the use of the term “climate crisis” mainly aims to mobilize public opinion and leaderships to take protection measures.

Adaptive management and acceleration of the Renaissance

According to the professor, forests and trees, due to their long life time, find it difficult to adapt to the rapid climate changes. Forest ecosystems have much larger life cycles than other species, making it difficult to adapt.

For this reason, scientists are looking for ways to accelerate the natural regeneration of forests by applying practices such as creating beeps and assisting physical renewal, so that the Renaissance circles are significantly reduced.

The event entitled “100 years of offering to the sciences of agronomy and forestry & natural environment” It is organized by the Dean of the School of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 10.00 to 13.00, in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.