Integrating scales and disciplines to promote climate-resilient forests

Trees are long-lived organisms that have shaped landscapes for hundreds of millions of years. Today, forests cover roughly 30% of the Earth’s land area and provide essential environmental, social, and economic services. While increasingly frequent and severe disturbances pose challenges, forests can remain resilient. A holistic, cross-scale approach—integrating ecological, social, and governance dimensions from local to global levels—is key to supporting climate-resilient forests and informing effective policies. In this opinion paper, I highlight how multidisciplinary science, combined with inclusive, community-based decision-making, can help forests withstand extreme events while continuing to provide vital ecosystem services and support human well-being.