The conversation

Scientists are finding that living organisms, on the scale of the tree, the forest or the species of tree, are capable of amazing adaptation processes. But will these be enough to cope with the climate change underway ?

Adaptation. The word sounds like an injunction. It is gradually invading the media and political arena to evoke our position vis-à-vis an environment beset by numerous scourges. Mitigation, on the other hand, is a much lesser-used word to describe greenhouse gas emissions and the pressures we are putting on ecosystems.

Adaptation and mitigation are two dependent actions, one does not exclude the other, but let's not forget that the IPCC has estimated that it would cost us twenty times more to adapt without mitigation than to achieve carbon neutrality.

For more information: https://theconversation.com/changement-climatique-les-forets-ont-elles-besoin-de-nous-pour-sadapter-252098

 Isabelle Chuine: Director of research in ecology at the CNRS, National Centre for Scientific Research

François Lefèvre: Director of research in forest genetics at INRAE, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment

For more information : https://theconversation.com/changement-climatique-les-forets-ont-elles-besoin-de-nous-pour-sadapter-252098

• Isabelle Chuine : Director of research in ecology at the CNRS, National Centre for Scientific Research.
• François Lefèvre : Director of research in forest genetics at INRAE, National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment.