Adapting management to meet the climate challenge: the example of the Mediterranean forest

Abstract

Mediterranean forests are particularly vulnerable to climate change and associated disturbances such as drought and wildfire. Management is an effective means of adapting forests to these changes in particular by strengthening their resilience. In this article we will discuss three management approaches: i) natural regeneration which requires intervention because it is often difficult to achieve (we take the example of mature Aleppo pine forests and oak coppice, ii) the role of thinning, which allows for the selection of individuals and an improvement in the water balance of stands iii) and finally, the role of mixing which has numerous effects on biodiversity, growth, vulnerability to pathogens or even resilience after fire. The adaptation of Mediterranean forests to environmental change requires more active management with shared objectives for their future.