The Nature Conservancy: Caroline Lake Preserve
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) worked with several partners and a consulting forestry firm to re-write Caroline Lake Preserve's forest management plan to incorporate actions to help adapt forests to climate change, while meeting TNC's management objectives. This plan was prepared for the State of Wisconsin's Managed Forest Law tax incentive program by Compass Land Consultants, Inc, and finalized in February 2016. TNC will now move forward and implement the plan over the next 10 years.
Project Area
Management Goals
- Maintaining forest communities that were historically characteristic of these site types over a natural range of ages, patch sizes, and compositions.
- Encourage mid- to late-successional forests that emulate natural disturbance dynamics (such as gaps) and increase under-represented species and age diversity.
Climate Change Impacts
Adaptation Actions
Project partners identified a number of potential adaptation actions with the overarching intent to maintain the resilience of the forest to changing conditions. In the northern hardwood forest, actions to maintain and enhance tree species diversity were prescribed to reduce the risk from climate change-related declines in the dominant species. This included the use of group selection and shelterwood harvests to enhance natural regeneration of mid-tolerant species. Several of these species, including northern red oak and black cherry, are currently present on the property in relatively low amounts and are projected to fare better under climate change relative to other species that are currently present. Eastern white pine was also identified as a desirable species. Although it is projected to decrease under some climate scenarios, the species is at a lower risk of decline than other native conifers.
The managers generally viewed the proposed actions as slight adjustments, rather than a significant departure, to the current management trajectory. Additionally, several “contingency plans” were discussed for responding to disturbances or other unforeseen events. For example, lowland hardwood forests were identified as at risk from altered hydrologic regimes and reduced late growing season soil moisture from climate change, introduction of the emerald ash borer, or a combination of these threats. Although no active management is currently planned in these stands, swamp white oak and bur oak were identified as two potential species that could be planted in lowland hardwood forests to maintain forest cover if intervention was deemed necessary. These species are not currently present on the property but can be found in localized areas in northern Wisconsin, which would represent a small degree of assisted migration.
A select list of the adaptation actions recommended in the property's updated management plan includes:
Area/Topic | Approach | Tactics |
---|---|---|
Northern hardwoods | 5.2. Maintain and restore diversity of native species. | Use single-tree selection and targeted gaps and seed trees to maintain or enhance diversity of mid-tolerant species Where opportunities exist, promote white pine, black cherry, yellow birch, northern red oak, and other desirable species that have a lower risk of declining due to climate change |
5.1. Promote diverse age classes. | Use large group selection or shelterwood harvests to increase northern red oak component in areas where natural regeneration is present. | |
4.2. Prioritize and maintain sensitive or at-risk species or communities. | Reserve high-quality hemlock pockets on less vulnerable sites to serve as refugia. | |
Lowland Hardwoods | 1.2. Maintain or restore hydrology. 2.1. Maintain or improve the ability of forests to resist pests and pathogens. | Diversify stands through thinning, group selection, or other techniques. |
9.2. Establish or encourage new mixes of native species. | Consider experimental plantings of swamp white oak or bur oak. |
Monitoring
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Keywords
Insect pests, Lowland/ wetland conifers, Lowland/ bottomland hardwoods, Upland hardwoods, Assisted migration, Management plan, Water resourcesLast Updated