Process-based forest models combine biological, physical, and chemical process understanding to simulate forest dynamics as an emergent property of the system. As such, they are valuable tools to investigate the effects of climate change on forest ecosystems. Specifically, they allow testing of hypotheses regarding long-term ecosystem dynamics and provide means to assess the impacts of climate scenarios on future forest development. As a consequence, numerous local-scale simulation studies have been conducted over the past decades to assess the impacts of climate change on forests. These studies apply the best available models tailored to local conditions, parameterized and evaluated by local experts. However, this treasure trove of knowledge on climate change responses remains underexplored to date, as a consistent and harmonized dataset of local model simulations is missing. Here, our objectives were (i) to compile existing local simulations on forest development under climate change in Europe in a common database, (ii) to harmonize them to a common suite of output variables, and (iii) to provide a standardized vector of auxiliary environmental variables for each simulated location to aid subsequent investigations. Our dataset of European stand- and landscape-level forest simulations contains over 1.1 million simulation runs representing 135 million simulation years for more than 13,000 unique locations spread across Europe. The data were harmonized to consistently describe forest development in terms of stand structure (dominant height), composition (dominant species, admixed species), and functioning (leaf area index). Auxiliary variables provided include consistent daily climate information (temperature, precipitation, radiation, vapor pressure deficit) as well as information on local site conditions (soil depth, soil physical properties, soil water holding capacity, plant-available nitrogen). The present dataset facilitates analyses across models and locations, with the aim to better harness the valuable information contained in local simulations for large-scale policy support, and for fostering a deeper understanding of the effects of climate change on forest ecosystems in Europe.

AMAP INRAE CIRAD CNRS IRD Univ Montpellier 34398 Montpellier cedex 5 France

Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH HAFL Länggasse 85 3052 Zollikofen Switzerland

CREAF E08193 Bellaterra Catalonia Spain

CSIRO Environment GPO Box 1700 ACT 2601 Australia

Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science Lund University Sölvegatan 12 223 62 Lund Sweden

Earth and Life Institute Université catholique de Louvain Croix du S 1348 Ottignies Louvain la Neuve Belgium

ETH Zürich Forest Ecology Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems Universitätstrasse 16 8006 Zürich Switzerland

European Forest Institute Platz der Vereinten Nationen 7 53113 Bonn Germany

Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague 165 21 Prague 6 Kamýcká 129 Czech Republic

Forest Science and Technology Center of Catalonia Crta de St Llorenç de Morunys 25280 Solsona Spain

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research UFZ Permoserstraße 15 04318 Leipzig Germany

Institute for Alpine Environment Eurac Research Via Alessandro Volta 13A 39100 Bolzano BZ Italy

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Integrated Biosphere Futures Research Group Schlossplatz 1 A 2361 Laxenburg Austria

KU Leuven Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Celestijnenlaan 200E 3001 Leuven Belgium

National Biodiversity Future Center Piazza Marina 61 90133 Palermo Italy

National Research Council of Italy Institute for Agriculture and Forestry Systems in the Mediterranean Forest Modelling Lab Via Madonna Alta 128 06128 Perugia Italy

Natural Resources Institute Finland Forest Health and Biodiversity Group Latokartanonkaari 9 00790 Helsinki Finland

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Member of the Leibniz Association Telegrafenberg A 31 Potsdam Germany

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Remote Sensing Zürcherstrasse 111 CH 8903 Birmensdorf Switzerland

Technische Universität Dresden Chair of Forest Growth and Woody Biomass Production Pienner Straße 8 01737 Tharandt Germany

TUM School of Life Sciences Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Technical University of Munich Hans Carl von Carlowitz Platz 2 85354 Freising Germany

Université Bordeaux Bordeaux Sciences Agro INRAE Biogeco 69 route d'Arcachon F 33612 Cestas France

Université de Montpellier Université Paul Valéry Montpellier EPHE IRD CEFE UMR 5175 CNRS 1919 Route de Mende F 34293 Montpellier France

Wageningen University and Research Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group Droevendaalsesteeg 3a 6708 PB Wageningen the Netherlands

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