Climate change is altering the structure and function of European forests via changes in temperature, precipitation and atmospheric CO2, as well as through interaction with pests and fire  . Species-specific responses of trees to drier summers  shape regional variability in European forest productivity in response to water and nutrient availability, heatwave and evaporative demand . While warming and extended growing seasons have positive impacts on forest growth in cold areas in WCE and NEU , EEU  and higher altitude , drought stress across Europe has been increasing  . Combined with land use, climate change has increased large-scale forest mortality since the 1980s . Extreme events, such as the 2018 drought in WCE, caused widespread leaf shedding and tree mortality  with carryovers into 2019 , as well as bark beetle outbreaks  resulting in felling and cutting of more than 1 million ha of spruce forest and disrupting timber markets .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report