Periodic Reporting for period 4 - FORMICA (Microclimatic buffering of plant responses to macroclimate warming in temperate forests)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-08-01 bis 2023-01-31
Microclimates are particularly evident in forests, where understorey habitats are buffered by overstorey trees. In temperate forests, the understorey contains the vast majority of plant diversity and plays an essential role in driving ecosystem processes.
The overall goal of FORMICA (FORest MICroclimate Assessment) was to quantify and understand the role of microclimatic buffering in modulating forest plant responses to macroclimate warming. We applied microtemperature loggers, performed experimental heating, used fluorescent tubes and installed a large-scale transplant experiment in temperate forests across Europe. The results were then integrated in models to forecast plant diversity in temperate forests as macroclimate warms.
We found strong microclimate buffering in European forests, translating both to current forest biodiversity patterns and forest functioning, as well as providing a thermal buffer against future climate change.
FORMICA was a large integrative study on microclimatic buffering of macroclimate warming in forests. The project has reshaped our current understanding of the impacts of climate change on forests and is helping land managers and policy makers to now develop urgently needed adaptation strategies.