Forests in the face of droughts and heatwaves: causes of decline, contributing factors and differences in species sensitivity

摘要

© AgroParisTech, 2023.Droughts with strong impacts on forests have occurred in Europe in the past (in 1911, at the end of 1940’s, in 1976). The most recent droughts during the summers of 2003, 2018 and 2022 have also been marked by unprece-dented heatwaves. The predicted increase of extreme drought events and heatwaves is a major challenge for foresters who aim at sustainable management to provide high-quality services. The present article provides ex-planations about the combined effects of heatwaves and droughts on tree health, in link with phenological changes among plants and insects. Finally, the differential drought responses of the main European species observed through a dendrochronological approach bring information on the species to be favoured in the future.