Climate variability and human disturbances as drivers of vegetation health in the riparian zone of the Danube (opens in new tab)

Forests along rivers are among the most valuable ecosystems, buffering climate extremes and sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services at the land–water interface. However, many of these riparian forests have a long history of human intervention, leaving many of them in a degraded state. Restoration projects aim to slow down or reverse these negative human impacts, while drought and rising temperatures add additional pressure. Yet long-term monitoring and robust evaluation of their succes...