Biodiversity and climate change, a risk analysis (BACCARA)

The BACCARA project studied the risks associated with climate change on functional diversity and forest productivity. Increased temperature and water availability associated with climate change lead to increased tree growth.  However, higher tree mortality was found to response to climate change impact such as droughts and frost.

The effect of climate change on forest productivity through changes in tree species composition was assessed. Richness of tree species in mixed forests was found to positively affect forest productivity with an approximately 24% higher tree wood production compared to monocultures. Also, the increasing risk of forest pests and pathogens under climate change was assessed by the BACCARA project team.  The project results have been generalized to diverse types of European forest. The knowledge gained from this study will be made available to forest managers. It will make it possible to predict the effects of climate change on their forests on the basis of changes in species composition. It also enables informed decision-making for the optimal tree selection and to take the most appropriate steps, e.g. transformation to mixed forests.