Effects of drought on forests and rangelands in the United States: translating science into management responses

Abstract

Most regions of the United States are projected to experience a higher frequency of severe droughts and longer dry periods as a result of a warming climate. Even if current drought regimes remain unchanged, higher temperatures will interact with drought to exacerbate moisture limitation and water stress. Observations of regional-scale drought impacts and expectations of more frequent and severe droughts prompted a recent state-of-science synthesis (Vose et al. 2016). The current volume builds on that synthesis and provides region-specific management options for increasing resilience to drought for Alaska and Pacific Northwest, California, Hawai‘i and U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands, Interior West, Great Plains, Northeast and Midwest, and Southeast.

Titles contained within Effects of drought on forests and rangelands in the United States: translating science into management responses

• Executive Summary
• Managing Effects of Drought: Introduction and Definition of Key Terms and Concepts
• Projected Drought for the Conterminous United States in the 21st Century
• Managing Effects of Drought and Other Water Resource Challenges in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest
• Managing Effects of Drought in California
• Managing Effects of Drought in Hawai’i and U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands
• Managing Effects of Drought in the Interior West
• Managing Effects of Drought in the Great Plains
• Managing Effects of Drought in the Midwest and Northeast United States
• Managing Effects of Drought in the Southeast United States
• Managing Effects of Drought: Key Messages and Conclusions

Citation

Vose, James M.; Peterson, David L.; Luce, Charles H.; Patel-Weynand, Toral., eds. 2019. Effects of drought on forests and rangelands in the United States: translating science into management responses. Gen. Tech. Rep. WO-98. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Washington Office. 227 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/WO-GTR-98.