Start of the dry season as a main determinant of inter-annual Mediterranean forest production variations.

Highlights: [•] The paper assesses the impact of spring meteorology on Mediterranean forest GPP. [•] The investigation is based on the analysis of ground and remote sensing data. [•] The start of the dry season (SDS) affects inter-annual forest GPP variations. [•] The impact of SDS is attenuated moving toward more humid environments. [•] The eco-physiological bases of these phenomena are identified and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]