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Lea takes us to the Font-Blanche experimental station located near Marseille, where teams from the INRAE ​​centers in Avignon and Aix-en Provence study the functioning of the forest ecosystem. This forest typical of the French Mediterranean region is composed of Aleppo pine with an undrstory of holm oak.

“The forest provides us with a large number of services. It regulates the climate and the water cycle, provides us with wood for heating and for construction, it is a recreational place and supports biodiversity... It is increasingly in demand by society. Today, increasing duration, intensity and frequency of drought threaten these forests and the services they provide. »

During her thesis at INRAE, Léa closely examined the impact of drought on the growth of the Aleppo pine and more particularly, on the development of its crown, that is to say all of its branches and leaves it carries.

With her colleagues from UMR RECOVER (Mathieu Audouard in the video), she carries out monthly measurements in height and in sometimes complex postures to reach the ends of the branches 10-15 meters from the ground.

The analysis of this data allows us to better understand how trees function, and provides practical recommendations for adapting forests to climate change, such as diversifying species or reducing tree density.