English oaks can withstand warming – but other trees will struggle

Climate change means many tree species planted today in Europe won’t survive to the end of the century, but English oaks could thrive in many areas.

The English oak tree looks set to become a cornerstone of future reforestation projects and timber plantations in Europe, as one of the only native species flexible enough to survive the rapid climate change expected over the next century.

European forests are a mix of tree species, which have all been able to withstand the climatic variability of their location for hundreds of years.

But climate change means trees planted today, for example for reforestation or timber plantations, must be able to withstand both current conditions and those of a warmer world in 2100.

Johannes Wessely at the University of Vienna, Austria, and his colleagues examined 69 of the most common European tree species to assess how well they will cope with this challenge.

The English oak (Quercus robur) was one of the only species assessed as being fit to thrive under current and future conditions across many regions, says Wessely. Importantly, the English oak “has a high importance for timber production, carbon storage and biodiversity”, he says, making it suitable for all kinds of reforestation projects across Europe.