Forest composition and distribution (no further updates)

Description

Range shifts in forest tree species due to climate change have been observed towards higher altitudes and latitudes. These changes considerably affect the forest structure and the functioning of forest ecosystems and their services.
Future climate change and increasing CO2 concentrations are expected to affect site suitability, productivity, species composition and biodiversity. In general, forest growth is projected to increase in northern Europe and to decrease in southern Europe, but with substantial regional variation. Cold-adapted coniferous tree species are projected to lose large fractions of their ranges to more drought-adapted broadleaf species.
The projected changes will have an impact on the goods and services that forests provide. For example, the value of forest land in Europe is projected to decrease between 14 and 50 % during the 21st century

Reference information

Websites:

https://www.eea.europa.eu/ds_resolveuid/IND-186-en

Source:

EEA

Published in Climate-ADAPT Jun 7, 2016 - Last Modified in Climate-ADAPT Dec 12, 2023

Date of publication:

2017

Keywords:

CLIM034, drought, forest, phenology, species, vegetation distribution

Climate impacts:

Droughts, Extreme Temperatures

Adaptation Approaches:

Climate services, Observations and Scenarios

Sectors:

Biodiversity, Forestry

Geographic characterisation:

Europe

Macro-Transnational region:

Adriatic-Ionian, Alpine Space, Atlantic Area, Baltic Sea, Central Europe, Danube Area, Mediterranean (Euro-Med), North West Europe, North Sea, Northern Periphery and Arctic, South West Europe, Black Sea Basin (NEXT), Mediterranean Sea Basin (NEXT)