Exploring the linkages between ecological change and human adaptation in forests impacted by climate change

Sustainably managing forests in a changing climate requires understanding ecological changes occurring and rapidly integrating knowledge into the use and management of resources. In Alaska’s Alexander Archipelago, dead yellow-cedar trees scatter the coastline. Researchers spent nearly two decades deciphering the causes and links to climate change. Drawing upon social-ecological research on widespread yellow-cedar mortality – how the dieback alters the plant community and how people who use, value, and manage these forests respond to these changes – this Ignite presentation illuminates ways in a collaborative research design can contribute to local capacity for adapting to unprecedented rates of change.