Tag: changing climate and forests

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Climate effects on Longleaf Pine seed production

Those in the longleaf pine range may be aware that the existing area of longleaf is but a scant remnant of its original distribution. Organizations and initiatives throughout the Southeastern US are actively working to restore and expand the acreage of this stately native tree.  Variations in climate may present a new challenge to this effort, as USDA Forest Service scientists are currently discovering just how complex the relationship is between longleaf pine seed production and climate.  

Longleaf Pine Range Map 1966
Longleaf Pine Range
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Will Black Oaks Survive Climate Change in the Midwest?

tree
Black oaks may face many threats from climate change in the coming years. Photo: Willow, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5)

The survival of some species of oaks, among them black oak, have been threatened as forested areas in North America are cleared for agriculture, urban development, and other forms of development.  It is a major goal of many forest managers to maintain current populations of oak (Quercus spp.) for timber, wildlife, and conservation biology. Currently, black oak is distributed throughout …

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Drought Risk and Tree Planting

Shelterwood planting
Shelterwood planting

The PINEMAP team produced a helpful publication on whether To Plant or Not to Plant, which includes a checklist of eight items for consideration before planting tree seedlings. The Fact Sheet, produced by the Texas Forest Service and Texas Agrilife Extension Service, refers to Texas, but the process for timber stand drought risk assessment is broadly applicable and not time-limited.  Important considerations before planting include working with a qualified professional, assessing the site quality and soil moisture, …

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Protect Your Forest Asset

Adapted from peer reviewed publication SREF-FM-0018 May, 2013. L. Jennings, L. Boby, W. Hubbard and M. Megalos. Protecting Your Forest Asset. www.sref.info.

Record droughts, rising temperatures, increased frequency and intensity of wildfires, insect and plan invasions, and more intense storm events all pose threats to the health of Southern forests. Scientists project that increases in temperature and changes in rainfall patterns will cause these disturbances to become more common, occurring with greater intensity or duration. 

The use of …

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Oregon Forests and Climate Change

Oregon State University Forestry & Natural Resources Extension started a blog in 2015 on Oregon Forests and Climate Change. The goal of the blog is to assist Oregon’s private forest owners in understanding basic climate science principles, anticipated impacts on managed forests, and options for adaptation and management. Several articles have posted to this blog already, and we provide specific links to them here. As OSU Forestry and Natural Resources Extension updates the blog, we will add the new …

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Webinars on Demand!

If you missed a climate and natural resources webinar of interest, check out the links below. 

ANREP Climate Science Initiative Webinars:

“Extension Leadership with Community Climate Planning Scenarios”

“Benefiting Clientele and Educators through Climate Education Networking”

“Extension Climate Communication in Practice”

“Urban, Rural, and Remote: Extension Climate Adaptation Programs and Practices”

“FloriDays Cutting-Edge Extension”

“The North Coast Alignment Project” and “Delaware’s Climate Change Impact Assessment”

The Role of Universities in Climate Change Education and Research

ClimateWebinars.net:

Archived Climate Webinars…

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Plantation Forests and Climate Change

Written by Amy Grotta, University of Oregon

 

Plantation forests are a type of managed forest in which the trees are planted (as opposed to naturally regenerated), of the same age and generally of the same species, and are intended to maximize the production of wood fiber. Trees in a plantation forest are usually planted uniformly in rows to maximize the site’s growing space and resources, to ensure uniform growth, and to facilitate the use of mechanized harvesting equipment.

Figure 1.
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Landowners Can Apply Strategies to Help Forests Adapt to Climate Change

Photo 1: Forest trees get ready for fall on top of Mt. Lemmon in Arizona. Photo credit: Martha Gebhardt.

By Martha Gebhardt, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona

 

Forest vulnerability is expected to increase in decades to come, according to a draft of the National Climate Assessment released in January of 2013. The report stated that as temperatures continue to rise, droughts, insect outbreaks, and wildfires would all occur more regularly. The forestry chapter of …

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Overview of the Effects of Climatic Variability on Forest Ecosystems in the Great Plains Region of the United States

The Global Change Research Act of 1990 requires the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) to produce the National Climate Assessment (NCA) for the President and Congress every four years, analyzing the effect of global change on multiple sectors and regions in the United States and projecting major trends forward for up to 100 years. Effects on Climatic Variability and Change on Forest Ecosystems: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis for the U.S. Forest Sector (PNW-GTR-870) serves as the U.S. Forest Service …

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Overview of the Effects of Climatic Variability and Change on Forest Ecosystems in the Midwest United States

The Global Change Research Act of 1990 requires the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) to produce the National Climate Assessment (NCA) for the President and Congress every four years, analyzing the effect of global change on multiple sectors and regions in the United States and projecting major trends forward for up to 100 years. Effects on Climatic Variability and Change on Forest Ecosystems: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis for the U.S. Forest Sector (PNW-GTR-870) serves as the U.S. Forest Service …

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