A team of natural resource specialists from the Canadian Forest Service, regional managers, and scientists came together for a three-day workshop in July 2019 to develop the study design for the ASCC project site. The team developed a set of Desired Future Condition statements, Objectives, and Tactics for each major climate adaptation trajectory (resistance, resilience, transition). These three trajectories are briefly summarized below:

No Action:

Since climate change impacts all forests globally, we cannot maintain a true “control.” With this in mind, we consider an approach in which forests are allowed to respond to climate change in the absence of direct silvicultural intervention as an appropriate baseline for many questions. Mature stands representing the Desired Future Condition (DFC) will be maintained and monitored for the duration of the study. These stands will serve as a benchmark of natural succession in the absence of management. 

"Business as Usual" Control:

Under a no-change scenario, the DFC at maturity (100 years) for white pine forests in the region is:

• Regenerate a well-stocked, productive, pine-dominated stand (white pine and other drought-tolerant species common to the site)
• Maintain or increase production of high quality sawlogs and other forest products
• Manage for wildlife habitat and mitigation of pests through partial harvesting and planned retention of the original overstory species

Resistance:

• Regenerate a well-stocked, productive, pine-dominated stand (white pine and other drought-tolerant species common to the site)
• Maintain or increase production of high-quality sawlogs and other forest products 
• Manage for wildlife habitat and mitigation of pest through partial harvesting and planned retention of the original overstory species 
• Establish white pine adapted to future climate conditions

Resilience:

• Create a well-stocked, multi-aged structure (promote species composition of white pine > red oak > aspen > red pine > other species)
• Maintain/increase productivity and quality of wood products, and diversify wood products, including pine sawlogs 
• Promote low susceptibility to disturbances, including drought, wildfire, wind, ice storms, insects, and diseases 
• Enhance species diversity particularly among dominant species (including functional diversity, structural diversity, and genetic diversity)
• Establish trees adapted to future climate conditions
• Increase resilience to low intensity wildfires and reduce susceptibility to stand-replacing wildfires 
• Manage for wildlife habitat and mitigation of pest by utilizing expanding gaps to create a multi-aged stand with a gradient of light conditions

Transition:

• Provide quality wood products 
• Promote a diverse species mix that is adapted to drought, wildfire, wind, ice storms, insects, and diseases, and adapted to future climate conditions 
• Maintain wildlife habitat through structural retention and an increase in mast species