Work Package 3

Work Package 3 is led by the University of Leeds and focuses on understanding how climate change may reshape Europe’s forests in the coming decades. The team is studying how forests and the species that depend on them might expand, shrink, or shift as temperatures rise and weather patterns change. They are also looking at how these changes could affect carbon storage, biodiversity, and the many benefits forests provide to people and nature.

Using advanced models and climate scenarios, the team will explore different future pathways for forest management and conservation. They will assess how forests might function under new conditions, how species might respond, and where the most vulnerable or valuable forest areas could be.

This work will help identify places that could serve as climate refuges for forest biodiversity and guide decisions on how to manage forests in ways that support both nature and climate goals.