Chapter 9 - Temperate forests

Abstract

Temperate forests, characterized by cyclical annual climate with distinct seasons, occur in some of the most densely populated regions of the world. Societies depend on these forests to provision ecosystem services such as timber, water, recreation, and cultural resources. However, climate change threatens the health and continued provisioning of the critical services these forests supply. In this chapter, we provide an overview of observed and projected climate change effects on temperate forests, with a focus on disturbance, ecosystem shifts, and ecosystem services. We provide context for the current state of these forests, with an overview of the prehistoric abiotic and anthropogenic factors, and the contemporary land use legacies, that helped shape the temperate forests of today. Finally, we discuss several climate change adaptation strategies that may be employed to help reduce negative effects of climate change on ecosystem services in temperate forest ecosystems.

Citation

Fusco, Emily; Halofsky, Jessica E.; Reilly, Matthew; Prendeville, Holly R.; Sousa-Silva, Rita. 2024 Chapter 9 - Temperate forests. In: McNulty, Steven G. eds. 2024. Future Forests. Elsevier. ISBN 9780323904308. 177-202. Chapter 9. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90430-8.00007-1.