WP1: Field Research

In Work Package 1 (WP1), Trees4Adapt carries out extensive ecological and microclimate research across eight long-term research sites that form part of the TreeDivNet and FunDivEUROPE networks. These sites, located across the boreal, temperate, and Mediterranean biomes, allow the project to study how tree diversity influences microclimate, biodiversity, and a wide range of ecosystem functions. Through year-round measurements and multi-taxon sampling in 200 forest plots, and synthesis of wider TreeDivNet and FunDivEUROPE data, WP1 generates one of the most comprehensive empirical datasets on the interactions between climate change and biodiversity loss in European forests.

The work looks at how tree species mixtures, forest structure, and local environmental conditions shape microclimate buffering, soil processes, and species communities. By combining newly collected data with existing datasets from earlier projects, WP1 identifies the mechanisms driving these interactions, including potential synergies and trade-offs between climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation. The resulting knowledge forms a crucial scientific foundation for the rest of the project.

In addition to advancing ecological understanding, WP1 provides calibrated and validated microclimate models, biodiversity indicators, and ecosystem function metrics that feed directly into WP2’s case study research, WP3’s bioeconomic modelling, and WP4’s pan-European risk assessments. This ensures that Trees4Adapt’s tools and recommendations are grounded in robust, field-tested evidence.