Droughts, diseases and fires, mainly caused by climate change, are decimating many of the European tree species available. And faced with the challenge that global warming represents for forest ecosystems, the solutions presented are divisive.
The Pedunculate Oak: the king of trees The way things are going at the moment, young shoots will have to be particularly tough if they are to thrive well into the 22nd century. Tomorrow's tree must not only withstand frost and cold, but also extreme drought and heat. After projecting climate scenarios ranging from the least to the most severe, only nine species per square kilometre passed the tests.Majestic and imposing, the king of our forests is usually planted in autumn. It thrives in the shelter of a hedge or copse that protects it from the wind.
Xavier Morin, a CNRS researcher in forest ecology at the Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology in Montpellier and a specialist in climate/forest interactions, is one of the sceptics.