International Co-operative Programme on Assessment

ICP Forests was launched in 1985 under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) due to the growing public awareness of possible adverse effects of air pollution on forests. ICP Forests monitors the forest condition in Europe, using two different monitoring intensity levels in cooperation with the European Union. The first grid (called Level I) was established in 1986. Since then it has annually been monitoring the crown condition on a systematic transnational grid of 16 x 16 km throughout Europe, complemented by assessments on national grids of varying densities. Between 1992 and 1996 also soil condition and the foliar nutrient status were assessed. The second monitoring intensity level (called Level II) has been installed since 1994 in selected forest ecosystems in Europe. On these plots, soil and soil solution chemistry, foliar nutrient status, increment, meteorological condition, ground vegetation and deposition of air pollutants are measured in addition to the annual crown condition assessments. Currently 40 countries participate in the ICP Forests.