Base Organization:  Forest research Institute – BAS

Chief Assistant Professor Todor N. Stoyanov, PhD – Projcet manager
Dr. Todor N. Stoyanov is a researcher at the Forest Research Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on wildfire risk assessment and management, economic loss evaluation, ecosystem services, sustainable forest management, forest policy, bioeconomy, and decision support systems (DSS).
He is the author of the monograph “Forest Fires – Legislation, Management and Prevention” and numerous scientific publications related to wildfire governance, forest economics, circular bioeconomy, and sustainable natural resource management. He actively participates in international research networks and projects, including COST Action DSS4ES, EASAC initiatives, and several European and national research programs.
His current work focuses on the development of integrated frameworks for wildfire risk assessment, economic loss valuation, ecosystem services analysis, and decision-support tools for climate-resilient forest governance and sustainable land management.
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Chief Assistant Professor Lora Kirova, PhD
Dr. Lora Kirova is Chief Assistant Professor at the Department of Forest Ecology, Forest Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Her research focuses on forest soils, soil organic matter, carbon stocks, and the role of forest ecosystems as carbon sinks and sources. Her expertise also includes forest ecology, land use and land-use change, and the effects of forest management practices on soil properties and ecosystem functioning.
She obtained her PhD in Ecology and Environmental Protection in 2020 from the Forest Research Institute, BAS, with a dissertation examining the effects of land use on carbon accumulation in ecosystems of the Central Balkan Mountains.
Dr. Kirova has participated in numerous national and international research projects related to forest ecosystem monitoring, greenhouse gas inventories (LULUCF), long-term ecosystem research, and the impacts of forestry practices on soil indicators and carbon dynamics.
She is author and co-author of scientific publications in the fields of forest soil science, carbon sequestration, ecosystem ecology, and sustainable forest management, including papers published in international journals such as Geoderma, Forest Science, and Silva Balcanica.
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Chief Assistant Professor Elena Rumenova Todorova, PhD
Dr. Elena Rumenova Todorova is a researcher at the Forest Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, specializing in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and spatial analysis. She has more than 12 years of professional experience in the coordination, administration, and management of national and international projects related to regional and local development, environmental management, natural hazards, and sustainable use of natural resources.
Her research focuses on the application of GIS and Earth observation technologies for the assessment and monitoring of wildfires, floods, biodiversity, and ecosystem processes. Over the past years, she has actively participated in international research projects, European initiatives, and COST Actions, further developing expertise in spatial modelling, geospatial data analysis, and integrated risk assessment approaches.
Dr. Todorova’s work is strongly oriented toward transdisciplinary socio-ecological research, combining environmental, spatial, and social data to support sustainable ecosystem management, disaster risk reduction, and evidence-based decision-making under changing environmental and climate conditions.