As sea levels rise along the Northeastern US, coastal forest ecosystems are being impacted.
To better understand the risks and enable climate-smart decision-making, researchers at Rutgers University were engaged to conduct a synthesis of the current state of knowledge concerning how coastal forests, specifically those in mid-Atlantic and southern New England states, are responding to impacts from climate change.
Drawing upon the scientific literature, expert interviews, and a January 2020 convening of scientists and land managers at the U.S. National Agricultural Library, this synthesis identifies key knowledge gaps as well as potential management approaches. And as a follow-up to this report, researchers also undertook a geographic information system (GIS)-based analysis to map out portions of the coastal forests in the Northeast most vulnerable to ongoing sea level rise (SLR). The analysis made use of best available data from NOAA, the US Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.
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Northeast USA Region-Wide Assessment of the Vulnerability of Coastal Forests to Sea Level Rise (2023)
To better understand the risks and enable climate-smart decision-making, this report examines the current state of knowledge concerning how coastal forests in the Northeast are responding to impacts from climate change
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Coastal Forests: Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise [Infograph]
Based on the 2023 report, Northeast USA Region-Wide Assessment of the Vulnerability of Coastal Forests to Sea Level Rise, this infograph highlights key numbers and takeaways for readers.
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NJ Forest Adapt Coastal Forest Dieback Geospatial Layers
NJ Forest Adapt provides a GIS mapping tool to learn more about forest dieback along the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England coast. This tool includes two Coastal Forest Dieback Layers: Upland Forest and Palustrine Woody Wetlands, as based on the 2016 USGS National Land Cover Database.
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Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Forests in the Northeast US (2020)
This report includes a review of literature exploring the mechanisms and ecosystem responses along the mid-Atlantic and southern New England seaboard of the U.S. and synthesizes additional insights provided in interviews with experts in the field. Gaps in scientific understanding are highlighted based on expert interviews as well as discussions held at a January 2020 workshop of scientists and land managers. This report concludes with several techniques for managing coastal forests to reduce the impacts of climate change.
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Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Forests (Webinar)
Join Dr. Richard Lathrop and Rachael Sacatelli (Rutgers University) along with Glen Carleton (USGS) as they present how coastal forests regionally and in New Jersey are responding to rising seas and storm intensity. They then share how this information can be used in decision making and potential management approaches.
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Climate Change Impacts to Coastal Forests (Brief)
Rising sea levels and intense storms along the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coast are damaging and killing coastal forests. Studies document signs of stress and dieback, resulting in “ghost forests”. A recent review of the scientific literature and interviews with leading experts suggest that there are two important mechanisms driving coastal forest dieback.