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Biodiversity a bulwark for ensuring the sustainability French forests in the face of climate change

Biodiversity : a bulwark for ensuring the sustainability of French forests in the face of climate change

In a study published in Global Change Biology, researchers from the CNRS, including Romain Bertrand, a member of the CRBE's DEEP team, show that temperate forests rich in tree species are more resistant to intensifying water stress and maintain their productivity more sustainably in the face of climate change.

he authors analyzed 25,838 data points collected by the IGN’s National Forest Inventory between 2005 and 2016. They found that tree species diversity plays a key role in maintaining forest productivity in the face of increasing droughts. Indeed, they observe that the loss of productivity in French forests caused by water stress is mitigated as the number of tree species in stands increases.

These results reveal that biodiversity acts as a natural “insurance” for forests, strengthening their ability to store carbon and produce wood despite increasingly stressful climatic conditions.

foret-hetre-romain-bertrand

Continued from the article on : https://crbe.cnrs.fr/en/la-biodiversite-un-rempart-pour-garantir-la-perennite-des-forets-francaises-face-au-changement-climatique/ 

See also

Biodiversity Insurance of Forest Productivity Has Strengthened Under Recent Climate Change.
Bertrand R., Morin X. (2026).
Global Change Biology. Publié le 9 mars 2026.
doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70760

Modification date: 01 June 2026 | Publication date: 01 June 2026 | By: TULIP Communication / CRBE