Forest growth and environmental change

Abstract

The forests of the northern hemisphere are more productive than they were several decades ago. This trend has been observed and quantified in various studies since the 1970s and involves several factors: changes in rainfall regimes, nitrogen deposition and increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Using data from the national forest inventory, the authors of this article examined changes in French forests. Their results at finer scales highlight extreme variations (negative and positive) related to species and local environmental context that should be monitored in "real time" given the major future uncertainties related to climate.