IGN 21-3 - How are we adapting northern forests to a changing climate?

Thursday, August 10, 2017
C123, Oregon Convention Center
Todd Ontl, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, USDA Forest Service, Houghton, MI; USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub, MI
Climate change is challenging land managers with making decisions now that will prepare forests for an uncertain future. The risks posed by climate change—combined with invasive plants, insect pests and forest pathogens—require managers to consider actions that better align forests to a range of future conditions. How are managers rising to this challenge? Drawing from nearly 200 forest adaptation demonstration projects, we show how managers in different forested regions of the Midwest and Northeastern US are adapting forests through management actions that enhance resilience and transition forest communities to accommodate anticipated changes.