Toward the new stage of environmental forest science research in the 21(st) century - IUFRO status and perspective

IUFRO developed from a union of forest experiment organizations represented exclusively by their directors to a Union of Forestry Research Organizatio ns involving individual scientists as networking members from diverse field s of research. Research conducted in IUFRO's member organizations was alway s geared to and dependent on the needs of the respective time, society and its problems. IUFRO follows a mission, vision and guiding principles and de fined goals and objectives. A strategy was adopted to define the orientatio n needed for the future. Basic statistical figures of the Union are present ed.