Protect future-adapted seedlings and saplings

EASTERN: As climate change increases both direct and indirect stressors on forest ecosystems, it becomes increasingly important to ensure the adequate regeneration of tree species in order to maintain forest or woodland conditions. Seedlings and saplings are generally more sensitive than older growth stages to changes in moisture and temperature, physical disturbance, herbivory, and other stressors. For this reason, protecting seedlings or saplings of existing or newly migrated species can strongly shape the ways in which communities adapt. Further, tending regeneration by protecting it from herbivory, removing competition, or otherwise reducing damage to seedlings and saplings helps to promote the transition to desired future conditions and functions.

WESTERN: As climate change increases both direct and indirect stressors on forest ecosystems, it becomes increasingly important to ensure the adequate regeneration of tree species in order to maintain forest or woodland conditions. Some genotypes may be fostered or introduced that are better adapted to future or changing conditions because of pest resistance, broad physiological tolerances, short regeneration times, or other characteristics. Seedlings and saplings are generally more sensitive than older growth stages to changes in moisture and temperature, physical disturbance, herbivory, and other stressors. For this reason, protecting seedlings or saplings of existing or newly migrated species can strongly influence how communities adapt. Further, tending regeneration by protecting it from herbivory, removing competition, or otherwise reducing damage to seedlings and saplings helps to promote the transition to desired future conditions and functions.

Species composition in many forest ecosystems is expected to change as species adapt to a new climate and transition into new communities. This strategy seeks to maintain overall ecosystem function and health by gradually enabling and assisting adaptive transitions of species and communities in suitable locations. This may result in slightly different species assemblages than those present in the current community, or an altogether different community in future decades. This strategy includes aggressive actions to promote ecosystem change rather than an unchanging community or species mix. Many of the approaches in this strategy attempt to mimic natural processes, but may currently be considered unconventional management responses. In particular, some approaches incorporate assisted migration, which remains a challenging and contentious issue. It is not suggested that managers attempt to introduce new species without thoroughly investigating potential consequences to the native ecosystem. This approach is best implemented with great caution, incorporating due consideration of the uncertainties inherent in climate change, the sparse record of previous examples, and continued uncertainties of forest response. Outcomes from early efforts to transition communities can be evaluated to provide both information on future opportunities and specific information related to methods and timing.