Feasibility of enhancing carbon sequestration and stock capacity in temperate and boreal European forests via changes to management regimes

•Large uncertainties are associated with the future magnitude and stability of the forest carbon sink.•Business-as-usual management practices might already be close-to-optimum for supporting forest carbon uptake and storage.•Increases in management intensity have the potential to lower forest carbon sequestration and stocking capacity.•Forest management practices are as important as climate change to regulatethe carbon sink and stock size.