Implementing Forest Adaptation Across Northern Forest Ecosystems

Photo of the northern forest landscape

 

A collaborative research project led by the University of Vermont seeks to understand how forest managers in northern New England are helping their forests adapt to climate change.

 

Implementing Forest Adaptation Options for Northern Forest Ecosystems is a research project recently funded by the Northeastern States Research Cooperative (2022-2024). The project is led by the University of Vermont (UVM) in partnership with the Northern Institute for Applied Climate Science (NIACS), USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub, Conservation Science Partners, Forest Stewards Guild, Dartmouth College Woodlands, Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation, Lyme Timber Company LLC, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and The Nature Conservancy.

This project aims to increase the application of adaptation strategies that enable greater resilience to climate change and associated invasive pest and disease impacts, while also sustaining critical ecosystem services, including habitat provisioning and carbon storage, and local forest-based economies This project will fill an urgent need in the region as managers strive to address the impacts that climate change will have on their forests.

 

Outreach to managers in the Northern Forest region

The research team is conducting outreach to better understand the on-the-ground strategies that forest managers are using to address emerging forest health and climate change issues across the Northern Forest region and the outcomes of these actions.

Results from the project will be shared with managers through a variety of outlets to support decision making surrounding forest adaptation strategies to increase the resilience of northern forests (e.g., Forest Manager’s Guide to Adaptation for Northern Hardwood, Spruce-Fir, and Mixedwood Ecosystems, interactive workshops for forest managers, and presentations at regional forestry meetings). These products will help to increase awareness of promising adaptation strategies to sustain ecological and economic benefits of northern forest ecosystems in an uncertain future.

Who should participate?

Natural resource managers that:

  • Have planned or implemented management to adapt to climate change and/or forest health issues
  • Are located in the Northern Forest region (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and northern New York)
  • Are managing northern hardwood, spruce-fir, or mixed wood forest types
  • May already be observing outcomes of implemented actions

How can I participate?

Complete the questions found here Questions: Implementing Adaptation Across Northern Forests and return to Samantha Myers (smyers3@uvm.edu) with the subject line "Northern Forest Adaptation." This information will be incorporated into a synthesis of common and novel approaches to climate adaptation in the Northern Forest region. No identifying information about you or your organization will be included in final project deliverables. 

For more information, contact:

Northeastern States Research Cooperative logo          Project partners

Last updated: July 2023