Central Hardwoods ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the Central Hardwoods Climate Change Response Framework project

Leslie Brandt; Hong He; Louis Iverson; Frank R. Thompson; Patricia Butler; Stephen Handler; Maria Janowiak; P. Danielle Shannon; Chris Swanston; Matthew Albrecht; Richard Blume-Weaver; Paul Deizman; John DePuy; William D. Dijak; Gary Dinkel; Songlin Fei; D. Todd Jones-Farrand; Michael Leahy; Stephen Matthews; Paul Nelson; Brad Oberle; Judi Perez; Matthew Peters; Anantha M. Prasad; Jeffrey E. Schneiderman; John Shuey; Adam B. Smith; Charles Studyvin; John M. Tirpak; Jeffery W. Walk; Wen J. Wang; Laura Watts; Dale Weigel; Steve Westin

doi:10.2737/NRS-GTR-124

Treesearch

Central Hardwoods ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the Central Hardwoods Climate Change Response Framework project

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Leslie Brandt, Hong He, Louis Iverson, Frank R. Thompson, Patricia Butler, Stephen Handler, Maria Janowiak, P. Danielle Shannon, Chris Swanston, Matthew Albrecht, Richard Blume-Weaver, Paul Deizman, John DePuy, William D. Dijak, Gary Dinkel, Songlin Fei, D. Todd Jones-Farrand, Michael Leahy, Stephen Matthews, Paul Nelson, Brad Oberle, Judi Perez, Matthew Peters, Anantha M. Prasad, Jeffrey E. Schneiderman, John Shuey, Adam B. Smith, Charles Studyvin, John M. Tirpak, Jeffery W. Walk, Wen J. Wang, Laura Watts, Dale Weigel, Steve Westin

Year:

2014

Type:

General Technical Report

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-124

Source:

Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-124. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 254 p.

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Download (PDF 31.76 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/45430.pdf

Abstract

The forests in the Central Hardwoods Region will be affected directly and indirectly by a changing climate over the next 100 years. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of terrestrial ecosystems in the Central Hardwoods Region of Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri to a range of future climates. Information on current forest conditions, observed climate trends, projected climate changes, and impacts to forest ecosystems was considered in order to assess vulnerability to climate change. Mesic upland forests were determined to be the most vulnerable to projected changes in climate, whereas many systems adapted to fire and drought, such as open woodlands, savannas, and glades, were perceived as less vulnerable. Projected changes in climate and the associated ecosystem impacts and vulnerabilities will have important implications for economically valuable timber species, forest-dependent wildlife and plants, recreation, and long-range planning.

Keywords

climate change, vulnerability, adaptive capacity, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Climate Change Atlas, LINKAGES, LANDIS PRO, expert elicitation

Citation

Brandt, Leslie; He, Hong; Iverson, Louis; Thompson, Frank R., III; Butler, Patricia; Handler, Stephen; Janowiak, Maria; Shannon, P. Danielle; Swanston, Chris; Albrecht, Matthew; Blume-Weaver, Richard; Deizman, Paul; DePuy, John; Dijak, William D.; Dinkel, Gary; Fei, Songlin; Jones-Farrand, D. Todd; Leahy, Michael; Matthews, Stephen; Nelson, Paul; Oberle, Brad; Perez, Judi; Peters, Matthew; Prasad, Anantha; Schneiderman, Jeffrey E.; Shuey, John; Smith, Adam B.; Studyvin, Charles; Tirpak, John M.; Walk, Jeffery W.; Wang, Wen J.; Watts, Laura; Weigel, Dale; Westin, Steve. 2014. Central Hardwoods ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the Central Hardwoods Climate Change Response Framework project. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-124. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 254 p.