The aim of the first session of the Mediterranean Forestry Week, held in Avignon on April 5-8, 2011, was to present the current context: the environment of the Mediterranean Rim in a mutating world and, especially, an account of the role of forests and science faced with the major challenges and issues. In this context Yves Birot gave a synopsis of the different approaches science has to offer on these questions: what has been learnt and achieved, pooling knowledge, perspectives...