With increasing site quality asymmetric competition and mortality reduces Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stand structuring across Europe

•The study based on 90 mature Scots pine stands along a productivity gradient across Europe.•Growth partitioning became more asymmetric and structuring with increasing site quality.•Mortality eliminated predominantly small trees with increasing site quality.•We found the highest size variation on poor sites and the lowest on rich sites.•As a result stand structure became more homogeneous with increasing site quality.