From seeds to saplings

As climate change progresses, not only will temperatures continue to rise, but amount and distribution of precipitation and intensity and frequency of disturbances will also change. Droughts will increase globally, and reduced snow cover in temperate and boreal climates will lead to additional dry spells. Abiotic disturbances create additional needs for forest regeneration, alter biophysical conditions and habitat quality for wild ungulates. In addition, tree seed production patterns are changing and germination capacity of tree seeds is decreasing. This calls for an increased focus on tree seed production, assisted migration with climate-smart species and innovative methods for the regeneration of mountain forests. In semi-arid mountain and Mediterranean regions, natural processes such as nurse-shrub regeneration are becoming increasingly important. Furthermore, the question on which tree species will be able to increase the resilience of mountain forests in a drier future is increasingly pressing. Research on processes and patterns of tree seed production and establishment of tree regeneration are often conducted separately, which may limit the understanding of emergent properties of tree population dynamics. This focus session will therefore link tree seed production and availability with climate-smart assisted migration and innovative tree regeneration methods. It will provide a forum to present advances in regeneration ecology embedded in an understanding of forest dynamics in mountain forests. Emerging research needs will be identified and challenges for securing future mountain forests will be discussed.