Reacción a "The decline of European forests in their role in combating climate change is analyzed"

It was important to reflect on the role of forests in mitigating climate change. For a long time, they have been considered the panacea that could sequester carbon to offset rising emissions. The importance of this reflection lies in the fact that, for the first time, it provides clear evidence of a downward trend in the carbon sinks represented by European forests, contrary to the compensation expectations envisaged by European policies. We must therefore be cautious in estimating their potential as carbon sinks and place greater emphasis on adaptation and resilience measures in the management and protection of European forests.

This has important implications for the need to internalize the risk factors to which they are increasingly exposed as a result of human activity, both direct and indirect. This implies the integration of information and data from very different sources and acquired with new and old technologies, all of which are necessary. Their limitations lie precisely in the lack of the interoperability needed to integrate all available data and knowledge to produce more robust, more consistent, and less uncertain estimates. The article also highlights this need. Let us hope that this message sinks in among European researchers.