Pan-European maps and models of current and future tree species distributions and their growth potential

Dataset Overview

This dataset provides Site Index Models (SIM) and Species Distribution Models (SDM), along with their respective predictions, for major European tree species. Developed to support forest management under a changing climate, the dataset projects species suitability and growth potential across multiple time horizons and climate scenarios.

Data Coverage & Structure

• Site Index Models (SIM): Models and predictions for 25 European tree species.

• Species Distribution Models (SDM): Models and predictions for 30 European tree species.

Temporal Coverage & Climate Scenarios

Predictions are provided for four distinct time slices based on RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 Representative Concentration Pathways:

• Reference Period: 1981–2010

• Future Periods: 2011–2040, 2041–2070, and 2071–2100

Methodology

A detailed description of the modeling framework, data inputs, and validation methods can be found in

Anna Wöhlbrandt, Anabel Onay, Ute Bachmann-Gigl, Wolfgang Falk, Christian Temperli, Samuel Aspalter, Debojyoti Chakraborty, Silvio Schüler, Johannes Breidenbach, Jonas Fridman, Miriam Isaac-Renton, Vladimír Šebeň, Mitja Skudnik, Tzvetan Zlatanov, Dominik Thom, Eric A Thurm,
Pan-European maps and models of current and future tree species distributions and their growth potential,
Data in Brief, 2026, 113027, ISSN 2352-3409, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2026.113027.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352340926005718).

Project Funding & Acknowledgments

This dataset was developed within the framework of the EVA Project (Evidence-based tree species recommendations under climate change, 2021–2024).

The project was funded by the Forest Climate Fund (Waldklimafonds) via the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft, BMEL) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz, BMUV).