In this article, the authors report that the idea of replacing French forests with plantations of species showing greater resilience to climate change is controversial among scientists and managers. Although French forests are suffering and losing their capacity to store carbon, this interventionist approach raises several concerns.
Firstly, the models used to predict the vulnerability of forests are uncertain and often too pessimistic, as they generally ignore the individual natural adaptive capacities of trees. Furthermore, the perceived urgency to act quickly to renew stands does not take into account the natural cycle of forests, which can regenerate in a few decades without drastic intervention.
From an economic point of view, then, clearing existing forests to plant new species is expensive and could be ineffective. Clear-cutting reduces the resilience of forests, weakens young plantations and generates losses in biodiversity, stored carbon and soil fertility.
The authors therefore propose adopting more nuanced solutions, such as forest management favouring species diversity and enrichment under cover. The challenge is to support the adaptation of forests without risking aggravating their degradation through excessively interventionist practices.