Diverse forests more resilient to storms - study

According to a new study published in the journal Functional Ecology, European forests with a large diversity of tree species are more resistant to storms, UNN reports with reference to Phys.org.

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A new study conducted by researchers at France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) shows that forests in Europe are most resistant to storms in forests with a wide variety of tree species and a predominance of slow-growing species with high wood density, such as oak.

The researchers also found that the positive impact of tree diversity on storm resilience was more pronounced in extreme climates, such as the hot and dry conditions of the Mediterranean region and the cold and wet conditions of northern Scandinavia.

In recent decades, Europe has experienced more frequent and stronger winds, which put forests at risk. The researchers say their findings can help predict the impacts of increased storm frequency and intensity on forests, and indicate how we can make forests more resilient.

An important finding of our study is that monocultures of fast-growing species such as pine, while economically valuable, are more susceptible to storms. Therefore, in the context of increasing storm losses across the continent, our study provides evidence in favor of forest management practices that promote the diversity of slow-growing tree species such as oak

The researchers warn that since this study is a modeling study, field studies are still needed to confirm the results.