The general objective of the ForeSTree team is to improve our knowledge of the functioning of trees and stand dynamics in interaction with environmental factors (including climate and competition), in order to manage forest socio-ecosystems that respond to the challenges of climate change (adaptation, mitigation), sustainable development and bioeconomy.

The understanding of forest resource dynamics is based on the analysis of gas flows (CO₂, H₂O, CH₄, N₂O) and balances of element (water, carbon, nitrogen) and energy in production systems, with scales ranging from organs to ecosystems. It also includes the study of the processes of allocation and intra- and inter-annual partitioning of nitrogen and carbon within the tree using ecophysiology approaches. In a complementary way, forest growth at different scales (tree to stand) is studied using a phenomenological (dendrometric-based) approach in relation with the environment and competition, and modulated by silviculture.

One of the originalities of the team is the coupling between studies on the dynamics of the forest resource, on the one hand, and the impact of climate change on the functioning of forests and their environmental performances (carbon budget, water economy, long-term maintenance of fertility, biodiversity), on the other hand. Another originality is the combination of approaches to study the interactions of tree species in forest and agroforest stands and the interest of biodiversity in the functioning of ecosystems.

The team works in temperate and tropical environments, in traditionally managed forests and in forest and agroforest plantations (rubber, poplar, alder).

The ForeSTree team mobilizes a very wide range of disciplines such as biochemistry, functional ecology, community ecology, modeling, ecophysiology, dendrometry, forest growth and production ("growth and yield science"), silviculture and sciences of decision. It develops very diverse methodologies: isotopic analysis and tracing, eddy covariance, terrestrial LIDAR.