Climate Change Science Applications and Needs in Forest Ecosystem Management: A Workshop Organized as Part of the Northern Wisconsin Climate Change Response Framework Project

Abstract

Climate change is leading to direct and indirect impacts on forest tree species and ecosystems in northern Wisconsin. Land managers will need to prepare for and respond to these impacts, so we designed a workshop to identify forest management approaches that can enhance the ability of ecosystems in northern Wisconsin to cope with climate change and address how National Forests and other lands could be used to test these approaches. The workshop had three major themes:

1. adaptation of forest management to current and expected climate change,
2. forest management to support greenhouse gas mitigation, and
3. monitoring of climate change impacts and the effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Outcomes from this workshop emphasized the importance of a place-based response to climate change. Forest managers in northern Wisconsin will need to establish and articulate clear goals for adaptation, mitigation, and monitoring, as well as ensure these goals are integrated with one another, in order to be effective at responding to climate change.

Files

gtr_nrs95.pdf