Europe's overlooked Aspen forests: key to enhancing biodiversity and climate resilience

Europe's overlooked Aspen forests: key to enhancing biodiversity and climate resilience
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 01, 2024

A comprehensive study led by an international team of forest scientists reveals the significant potential of Europe's underappreciated forests, particularly those dominated by the Eurasian aspen, to foster biodiversity and adapt to climate change. This research, detailed in PLOS ONE, highlights the Eurasian aspen's role as a "keystone species" essential for supporting diverse ecosystems, including a multitude of plant and animal species.

The team's research, centered in Czechia but applicable across central Europe, utilized over four million forest site analyses, combining field data, remote sensing, and advanced analytics. Historically, aspen forests were more prevalent but have dwindled due to forestry practices favoring single-species conifer stands. The study suggests a pivotal opportunity for forest management in Europe to embrace aspen restoration, thus revitalizing biodiversity and resilience against climate threats.

Antonin Kusbach of Mendel University, the study's lead author, emphasizes the rapid regenerative ability of aspen forests to adapt to disturbances such as fires, diseases, and insect infestations, anticipated to rise with global warming. Co-author Paul Rogers, from the Western Aspen Alliance at Utah State University, advocates for a strategic shift in forestry management to reincorporate aspen, ensuring the resurgence of rich plant and animal diversity within these ecosystems.

The research underscores the Eurasian aspen's extensive distribution across Europe and Asia and its importance in sustaining high biodiversity levels compared to other forest types. Rogers notes the adaptability and widespread nature of aspen forests across the Northern hemisphere, including North America's quaking aspen, underscoring their global ecological significance.

Reintroducing aspen in Europe, covering millions of hectares of suitable habitat, presents challenges but also a unique conservation opportunity. Kusbach suggests that natural processes, observed following disturbances like bark beetle infestations, indicate aspen's inherent capacity to reintegrate into central European forests, offering a readily available solution to enhancing forest health and biodiversity.

Research Report:Eurasian aspen (Populus tremula L.): Central Europe's keystone species 'hiding in plain sight'