Swedish forest growth decline: A consequence of climate warming?

Following an almost century-long increase, forest growth in Sweden has abruptly decreased during the last decade. Lower than expected forest biomass trajectories threaten national targets for carbon sequestration and bioeconomy. While climate-related drought is the most likely cause, the critical question is whether this recent growth decline is transient, or the beginning of a new normal where conventional management actions may risk further losses of resilience to water stress. We argue that improved mechanistic insights through better integrated research are urgently needed to avoid worsening the situation and further delaying necessary actions.