4th Quarter Accomplishments of the Northern Forests Climate Hub

4th Quarter Accomplishments of the Northern Forests Climate Hub

Highlights from our work in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023 (July-September).

Adaptation Concepts Explained: Resistance, Resilience, and Transition

The field of climate change adaptation is relatively young, but there is already a variety of conceptual frameworks and several specialized vocabularies meant to assist land managers clearly when communicating the intent of their management actions. The USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub and Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science presented on the Resistance/Resilience/Transition (RRT) framework of adaptation options, as part of the USDA Forest Service Adaptation Community of Practice webinar series. The presentation described the RRT framework, shared examples of how it has been used, and discussed why it has been a useful model for land managers. One hundred people participated in the webinar and engaged in a discussion afterward.

Balancing Climate, Carbon, and Biodiversity Goals in Wisconsin

There is increasing interest from land managers to understand how climate mitigation and carbon targets can be considered alongside other management goals. Yet, there are few practical resources to assist in understanding the benefits, and tradeoffs of actions that affect carbon and other management goals, such as diversity. Therefore, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub, and Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science are partnering on a project to help illustrate and describe potential tradeoffs and co-benefits when managing for multiple goals. The partners hosted a climate adaptation workshop with an ecosystem carbon management lens for 30 participants focusing on southeastern Wisconsin ecosystems (oak savannas, prairies, and non-forested wetlands).

Eastern Region National Forest Support

The USDA Forest Service is increasingly interested in considering the effects of climate change in project planning within individual National Forests, following the guidance of the 2022 Forest Service Climate Adaptation Plan. Robust considerations of climate change in project planning can help to reduce risk and ensure investments persist over time. The USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub and Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science facilitated conversations using the Adaptation Workbook planning process on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin and the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. Using this approach during project planning provided a platform for project planning team members to document how changes in climate are expected to affect the project area and to describe how plausible management actions for climate adaptation can reduce potential risks, enhancing the sustainability of ecosystems and resources.

Using Forest Service Science to Inform Response to Loss of Elm and Ash

Elm, ash, and other foundational lowland forest tree species face serious health threats from invasive pests and pathogens, land use stresses, and climate change. The loss of these species has threatened city canopies, natural ecosystems, and ways of life for communities that depend on them. Recognizing the fundamental social and ecosystem roles of these species, and to proactively anticipate coming threats to similar keystone trees, scientists at the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station have worked to identify techniques to preserve, propagate, or replace these species and support the communities that depend on them. The Forest Service researchers enlisted the Northern Forests Climate Hub and Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science to facilitate discussions among scientists and land managers in two conference settings (Baltimore, MD, and Duluth, MN) to discuss the ongoing loss of these species, disseminate research results, and understand real-world operational capacity to respond to these threats.