• Start-up
  • Planning
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Michigan DNR staff completed an adaptation workbook session and are considering local site conditions that might make aspen more vulnerable to climate change. Michigan DNR staff  completed the Adaptation Workbook activity at the Forest Adaptation Planning and Practices training in February 2014. This information will be incorporated into on-going discussions and further analysis.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages more than 4 million acres of forestland across the state. This ownership includes a diverse array of forest types, as well as several different kinds of management areas. In the western Upper Peninsula, aspen is the most abundant forest type on state land, with almost 250,000 acres (28% of the state’s ownership in the region). For this project, DNR staff addressed local site conditions that may predispose aspen to early mortality or low productivity due to climate change, specifically in the western Upper Peninsula.

Project Area

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On state forestland, aspen is a priority forest type for the continued production of forest products, and for valuable early-successional wildlife habitat.

Management Goals

More specific management goals and objectives for state forestland can be found in Regional State Forest Management Plans. Specifically for this exercise, DNR staff are interested to sustain aspen on strategically selected sites that will be less vulnerable to the effects of climate change. For aspen stands that are at higher risk due to climate change, the goal was to develop silvicultural strategies to reduce vulnerability and maintain forest productivity.

Climate Change Impacts

Staff from the Michigan DNR used the Adaptation Workbook from Forest Adaptation Resources to evaluate the potential climate change impacts for aspen in the western UP in particular. Potential climate change impacts that are of major interest include:
Moisture stress is anticipated to be more problematic for aspen under climate change, particularly on sites with deep, well drained soils and low moisture and nutrient-holding capacity.
Older stands of aspen are expected to be more vulnerable to a variety of stressors, including moisture stress, pests, and disease.
Altered disturbance regimes under climate change may provide more opportunities for natural aspen regeneration, if wind events and fire become more common.

Adaptation Actions

DNR staff used the Adaptation Workbook to identify several potential actions that could help aspen stands adapt to changing conditions, many of which are already standard practice. Examples include:

Area/Topic
Approach
Tactics
Maintain Extent of Aspen
5.1. Promote diverse age classes.
Current management plans move toward more balanced age classes
Maintain and Improve Vigor of Aspen Stands
9.1. Favor or restore native species that are expected to be adapted to future conditions.
Promote bigtooth aspen where opportunity exists
Develop alternative silvicultural strategies on wet vs. dry sites
Maintain and Improve Health of Aspen Stands
1.1 Reduce impacts to soils and nutrient cycling.
Limit biomass chipping and removal, particularly on dry sites
Follow BMPs to avoid rutting and root damage

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Keywords

Landscape-scale planning
Upland hardwoods

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