English oaks are resilient to warming temperatures, whereas other trees may falter

English oak trees are expected to form the basis of future reforestation projects and timber plantations in Europe, as one of the only native species flexible enough to withstand the rapid climate change expected in the next century. It will be done.

European forests are a mix of different tree species, all of which have been able to withstand local climate fluctuations for hundreds of years.

But climate change means that trees planted today, for example for tree plantations and timber plantations, must be able to withstand both current conditions and those of a warmer world in 2100.

Johannes Wessely Professors at the University of Vienna in Austria studied 69 of Europe's most common tree species to assess how well they meet this challenge.

English oak (Quercus serrata) is one of the only species assessed as suitable to thrive under current and future conditions across many regions, Wesley says. Importantly, he says, English oak is “very important for timber production, carbon storage and biodiversity” and is suitable for all types of reforestation projects across Europe.

However, European beech (Beech), you will have a hard time. Many places where European beech was planted and would grow today will be unsuitable later this century, but many areas where beech could grow later this century would be climatically unsuitable today. Research has revealed this.

Overall, the researchers found that depending on the rate of climate change, the average number of tree species per square kilometer that can survive continuously until 2100 could fall by a third to half. discovered.

This means that some forests in Europe consist of only a few tree species and may lack the diversity and resilience of mixed forests.

Wessely said the discovery means “we should be very careful about what we plant today, because it will shape our future forests and their future.”

He suggests that conservationists may even need to replant woodlands with fresh species later this century to ensure that forests can thrive beyond 2100.