Management alters drought-induced mortality patterns in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests

The high tree mortality during the dry and hot years 2018-2019 in Europe affected not only even-aged and monospecific conifer stands but also semi-natural Fagus sylvatica L. (European beech) forests. This has triggered concerns on the future of European beech forests under climate change and raised questions as to whether forest management may increase tree mortality rates through creating more open canopies. We compared long-term mortality rates of beech between strict forest reserves and adjacent managed reference stands for three inventory periods at 11 sites in the federal state Hesse, Germany, near the centre of the European distribution of the species. We hypothesized that mortality would increase with climatic water deficits during the growing season, initial stand density, and decreasing dominance (canopy status) of trees. We also hypothesized that mortality would decrease with site moisture status and the intensity of tree removals. To quantify the influence of management,...