Funpotential - Potential of functional diversity for increasing the disturbance resiliency of forests and forest-based socio-ecological systems

Abstract

Climate change and related extreme weather events pose a significant threat to forest ecosystems in Europe. This has detrimental effects on the provision of ecosystem services and, consequently, on human well-being. The Funpotential project demonstrated that increasing tree species diversity and enhancing forest structure are crucial for bolstering forest stability against disturbances and to minimize losses due to competition-driven background mortality. New ecological research conducted in Funpotential indicates that the efficiency and effectiveness of this nature-based solution depend heavily on species identity, traits, and the spatial scale considered. Landscape factors also play a role in shaping disturbance impacts, larger disturbance patches generally in landscapes with large canopy gaps. Increasing extreme events may still undermine the ability of species mixtures to buffer adverse climate effects, and new management solutions are required. Species diversity itself is not a panacea for forest adaptation: enhancing stability with less productive tree species will likely create trade-offs with the provision of wood and income. To mitigate such trade-offs, financial support for investment costs is essential, allowing for suitable mixtures that include more productive, albeit susceptible, conifers. Management guidelines and supporting policies should also account for larger spatial scales in terms of diversity in structures and species, accompanied by collective financial schemes to promote stronger joint action in adaptation strategies. Urgently, developing adaptation strategies and policies requires the maintenance, extension, and alignment of forest health monitoring within national and international inventories. Based on the ecological research, model development and economic analysis, we arrived to the following key messages: It is important to i) monitor and maintain forest health, ii) openly share monitoring data, iii) develop and test relevant species mixture combinations for their resilience, iv) acknowledge that trade-offs of resilience and economic profitability are likely, and that financial incentives for maintaining appropriate tree species mixtures (e.g. conifer groups in mixtures) would be useful for maintaining stabile forest production, and that v) appropriate diversification should be ensured and incentives offered at all spatial scales.