FP1106 - Studying Tree Responses to extreme Events: a SynthesiS (STReESS)

Climate change and subsequent increase in frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events will affect vitality, production and wood quality of European trees.

STREeSS is based on the enormous potential of dendro-sciences (including Dendrochronology, Wood anatomy and Ecophysiology) to study effects of extreme events such as drought, heat waves, late frost and flooding on tree performance and wood formation. Within these disciplines impacts on tree growth are currently assessed in a range of field studies and experiments among European countries, in both field and laboratory conditions. Research focus differs from cell to landscape with a temporal scale from minutes to millennia and sites ranging from extreme hot and dry to cold and wet environments. At the current stage it is crucial to integrate knowledge conducted in the different disciplines to generate a basic understanding of short to long-term physiological responses of tree species and provenances to extreme climate conditions.

By linking scientific expertise and facilitate data exchange and organisation as well as harmonization of methodologies STREeSS will form a platform for pushing frontiers between the disciplines forward. This will strengthen the scientific basis for a sound species and provenance selection as well as for an sustainable management of European forests.