ABSTRACT
Climate change is global, but its impact on forest ecosystems and forests is local. Processes controlling carbon uptake and carbon fl ow through the ecosystem link ecosystem dynamics to climatic change. At the scale of site and region, the impacts on carbon dynamics are dependent on: (i) how climate change modifi es climatic and edaphic conditions; and (ii) how different tree species meet the changes in growing conditions. The sensitivity of processes controlling carbon uptake to climatic change indicates the future success of different tree species and needs to sustain the productivity of forest ecosystems.
