Conclusions and Summary

Abstract

Growth of European forests has changed considerably in recent decades. Although the methods applied in the 22 studies varied according to the data available, most studies showed the same general trend: site productivity has increased on many sites (Table 1). An increasing growth trend has been observed in the southern regions of Northern Europe, in most regions of Central Europe and in some parts of Southern Europe (Fig.1). No clear trend was found in the most northern part of Europe, in rare cases in Central Europe and in some observations in Southern Europe. A decreasing trend was found in exceptional cases where extreme growth conditions such as intense exposure to pollutants or exceptional climatic conditions occurred.