PameSylve

The aim of the PameSyle project is to extend the Pameseb network of weather stations to include forests. Thanks to a partnership between the CRA-W, the OWSF and Uliège, two stations have already been installed in 2025 (in the Bertrix and Anlier forests). A third one is planned for 2026.

Background

Global warming is increasing the frequency of droughts and heatwaves, leading to a marked weakening of forest ecosystems worldwide. In Belgium, the succession of particularly dry years since 2015 has caused water stress affecting many tree species and increasing the risk of wild fires.

To monitor these phenomena more effectively, the establishment of a network of weather stations appears essential, both to improve the monitoring of forest stands and to support the development of decision-support tools based on regional climate data.

Objective and planned tasks

This collaborative project between CRA-W, OWSF and Uliège aims to install a new weather station in the Belgian Lorraine region, in addition to those at Anlier, Bertrix and La Croix Scaille (Willerzie). It is part of a wider study, led by ULiège, which aims to develop a forest-specific drought index.

Specifically, the objectives of the mission entrusted to CRA-W are:

(i) To install a new reference forest weather station in an area not yet covered, including soil analyses and soil moisture probes.

(ii) To ensure the maintenance and quality control of the forest stations.

(iii) To ensure the open-access dissemination of data from these stations via the Agromet.be platform, and the dissemination of the resulting bioclimatic indicators, notably via the monthly bioclimatic bulletins.

This project follows on from an initial agreement between the OWSF and the CRA-W, which led to the installation of two stations in forest environments (Bertrix and Anlier).