Adapting forests to climate change: an experiment to promote different tree species in mixed Scots pine forests (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Forested systems around the globe are being modified and climate change is one of the main drivers.
Many regions of Spain, especially in the south and the east, where aridity is predicted to increase, could be some of the most vulnerable places for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Western Europe. In some cases, defoliation, mortality, and lack of regeneration of this species have induced a vegetation shift, as has been seen with Quercus spp. Adaptive forest management might help adjust the vulnerable forest systems to new climatic conditions. 

This study, carried out in north-eastern Spain, applies silvicultural treatments to promote changes in species composition for improving the adaptation to climate change of a Scots pine mixed forest. The main objective is to evaluate how different silvicultural treatments give rise to more adapted stands in terms of survival, growth, and regeneration.