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The unit has an entomology laboratory, an ecology laboratory, 2 greenhouses and areas dedicated to plant experimentation. It benefits from a forest estate of nearly 150 ha on the Barres estate and also benefits, for experimentation and studies, from the proximity of the state forests of Montargis and Orléans.
Since 2013, the unit has also installed a network of experimental plots in the Orléans state forest: a system called OPTMix (Oak Pine Tree Mixture). This system was set up to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of silvicultural strategies envisaged in the context of climate change with regard to stand density and composition. One of the original features of the system is the ability to study the combined action of these strategies associated with the presence or absence of wild ungulates.

Growing societal issues around forest management

The EFNO unit's research focuses on the definition of sustainable management of lowland forest ecosystems, favourable to wood production and biodiversity preservation in the context of climate change, combining targeted research, expertise and support to public policies. The Unit contributes to improving knowledge of the functioning and biodiversity of lowland forest ecosystems, their capacity to adapt to management practices, the increase in ungulate populations and climate change, in order to propose management methods that are best suited to local situations.

Structure of the EFNO unit

The EFNO unit is composed of four teams :
• BIODIVERSITY - Interactions between forest management and specific biodiversity - Preserving forest species in our territories
• FONA - Forest-Ugulate Interaction - Reconciling wild ungulates and forest ecosystems
• FORHET - Heterogeneous forests - Understanding and modelling forest renewal and growth
• GEEDAAF - Study and expertise group on the adaptive diversity of forest trees - Conserving and enhancing the genetic diversity of trees