Forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis for northern Wisconsin and western Upper Michigan: a report from the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project

Maria Janowiak; Louis Iverson; David J. Mladenoff; Emily Peters; Kirk R. Wythers; Weimin Xi; Leslie Brandt; Patricia R. Butler; Stephen Handler; P. Danielle Shannon; Chris Swanston; Linda R. Parker; Amy J. Amman; Brian Bogaczyk; Christine Handler; Ellen Lesch; Peter B. Reich; Stephen Matthews; Matthew Peters; Anantha M. Prasad; Sami Khanal; Feng Liu; Tara Bal; Dustin Bronson; Andrew Burton; Jim Ferris; Jon Fosgitt; Shawn Hagan; Erin Johnston; Evan Kane; Colleen Matula; Ryan O'Connor; Dale Higgins; Matt St. Pierre; Jad Daley; Mae Davenport; Marla R. Emery; David Fehringer; Christopher L. Hoving; Gary Johnson; David Neitzel; Michael Notaro; Adena Rissman; Chadwick Rittenhouse; Robert Ziel

doi:10.2737/NRS-GTR-136

Treesearch

Forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis for northern Wisconsin and western Upper Michigan: a report from the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Maria Janowiak, Louis Iverson, David J. Mladenoff, Emily Peters, Kirk R. Wythers, Weimin Xi, Leslie Brandt, Patricia R. Butler, Stephen Handler, P. Danielle Shannon, Chris Swanston, Linda R. Parker, Amy J. Amman, Brian Bogaczyk, Christine Handler, Ellen Lesch, Peter B. Reich, Stephen Matthews, Matthew Peters, Anantha M. Prasad, Sami Khanal, Feng Liu, Tara Bal, Dustin Bronson, Andrew Burton, Jim Ferris, Jon Fosgitt, Shawn Hagan, Erin Johnston, Evan Kane, Colleen Matula, Ryan O'Connor, Dale Higgins, Matt St. Pierre, Jad Daley, Mae Davenport, Marla R. Emery, David Fehringer, Christopher L. Hoving, Gary Johnson, David Neitzel, Michael Notaro, Adena Rissman, Chadwick Rittenhouse, Robert Ziel

Year:

2014

Type:

General Technical Report

Station:

Northern Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-136

Source:

Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-136. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 247 p.

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Abstract

Forest ecosystems across the Northwoods will face direct and indirect impacts from a changing climate over the 21st century. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in the Laurentian Mixed Forest Province of northern Wisconsin and western Upper Michigan under 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. Upland spruce-fir, lowland conifers, aspen-birch, lowland-riparian hardwoods, and red pine forests were determined to be the most vulnerable ecosystems. White pine and oak forests were perceived as less vulnerable to projected changes in climate. These projected changes in climate and the associated impacts and vulnerabilities will have important implications for economically valuable timber species, forest-dependent wildlife and plants, recreation, and long-term natural resource planning.

Keywords

climate change, vulnerability, adaptive capacity, Climate Change Tree Atlas, LINKAGES, LANDIS-II, PnET-CN, expert elicitation, Wisconsin, Michigan

Citation

Janowiak, Maria K.; Iverson, Louis R.; Mladenoff, David J.; Peters, Emily; Wythers, Kirk R.; Xi, Weimin; Brandt, Leslie A.; Butler, Patricia R.; Handler, Stephen D.; Shannon, P. Danielle; Swanston, Chris; Parker, Linda R.; Amman, Amy J.; Bogaczyk, Brian; Handler, Christine; Lesch, Ellen; Reich, Peter B.; Matthews, Stephen; Peters, Matthew; Prasad, Anantha; Khanal, Sami; Liu, Feng; Bal, Tara; Bronson, Dustin; Burton, Andrew; Ferris, Jim; Fosgitt, Jon; Hagan, Shawn; Johnston, Erin; Kane, Evan; Matula, Colleen; O'Connor, Ryan; Higgins, Dale; St. Pierre, Matt; Daley, Jad; Davenport, Mae; Emery, Marla R.; Fehringer, David; Hoving, Christopher L.; Johnson, Gary; Neitzel, David; Notaro, Michael; Rissman, Adena; Rittenhouse, Chadwick; Ziel, Robert. 2014. Forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis for northern Wisconsin and western Upper Michigan: a report from the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-136. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 247 p.