European forests with a greater diversity of tree species are more resilient to storms, according to new research published in Functional Ecology.
A new study by researchers at the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) reveals that in Europe, the forests that are most resilient to storms are those with a greater diversity of tree species and dominated by slow growing species with high wood density, like oaks.
The researchers also found that the positive effect of tree diversity on resistance to storms was more pronounced under extreme climatic conditions, such as the hot-dry conditions of the Mediterranean region and the cold-wet conditions of northern Scandinavia.
Read more at British Ecological Society
Image: Mixed forest stand in Solböle, Southern Finland, that would be more resistant to storms. It hosts both broadleaf and conifer species. (Photo credits: J. Barrere)