A new study by the research team from the University of Molise, a key partner in the FORWARDS project, in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich, explores how thinning intensity and tree species composition influence the climate-smart performance of forests in Bavaria, Germany.
By applying a composite Climate-Smart Forestry Index to long-term experimental plots, the study shows that mixed and broad-leaved forests, together with stronger thinning, enhance forest adaptation and overall smartness. Key indicators such as forest damage, growing stock, slenderness coefficient, and roundwood production emerged as particularly influential across the climate-smart dimensions.
These findings highlight the importance of long-term monitoring and indicator-based approaches to guide adaptive and climate-smart forest management in a changing climate.