Forestry in Europe under changing climate and land use.

Abstract

AbstractThis study integrates the effects of changes in wood demand, climate and land use on the European forest sector, combining a dynamic global vegetation model with a large-scale, growth-and-yield model (EFISCEN or the European Forest Information Scenario Model). A consistent set of scenarios for wood demand, climate and forest area change were implemented to study the development of European forest resources over the 21st century. The study illustrates that wood demand plays a decisive role in the development of European forest resources. Under the scenarios investigated, European forests will remain a strong carbon sink for several decades, with the size of this sink mainly driven by wood demand. Afforestation measures have the potential to increase C stocks and increment in the long run, but large areas are needed to obtain significant effects.