Ecosystem heterogeneity is key to limiting the increasing climate-driven risks to European forests

Forest mortality due to natural disturbances such as fires, storms, and pests has increased in Europe in recent decades and is expected to increase further due to climate change. Although important forest services may soon be seriously affected, assessments of the negative effects of natural disturbances and possible solutions to minimize them are still scarce. Ecosystem heterogeneity—the diversity of tree species and sizes—has been suggested as an option to increase forest resistance, but its effectiveness remains elusive. Here, we estimate the biomass loss due to natural disturbances on European forests from 1979 to 2018 and evaluate the benefits of increasing forest heterogeneity. We used the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change method for climate risk assessment by integrating disturbance records and satellite data. Results show that enhancing the ecosystem heterogeneity could reduce biomass loss by about 18%, and such action should therefore be fostered to minimize climate-related risks to European forests.