Minnesota forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project

Stephen Handler; Matthew J. Duveneck; Louis Iverson; Emily Peters; Robert M. Scheller; Kirk R. Wythers; Leslie Brandt; Patricia Butler; Maria Janowiak; P. Danielle Shannon; Chris Swanston; Kelly Barrett; Randy Kolka; Casey McQuiston; Brian Palik; Peter B. Reich; Clarence Turner; Mark White; Cheryl Adams; Anthony D'Amato; Suzanne Hagell; Patricia Johnson; Rosemary Johnson; Mike Larson; Stephen Matthews; Rebecca Montgomery; Steve Olson; Matthew Peters; Anantha Prasad; Jack Rajala; Jad Daley; Mae Davenport; Marla R. Emery; David Fehringer; Christopher L. Hoving; Gary Johnson; Lucinda Johnson; David Neitzel; Adena Rissman; Chadwick Rittenhouse; Robert Ziel

doi:10.2737/NRS-GTR-133

Minnesota forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project

Informally Refereed

Authors:	Stephen Handler, Matthew J. Duveneck, Louis Iverson, Emily Peters, Robert M. Scheller, Kirk R. Wythers, Leslie Brandt, Patricia Butler, Maria Janowiak, P. Danielle Shannon, Chris Swanston, Kelly Barrett, Randy Kolka, Casey McQuiston, Brian Palik, Peter B. Reich, Clarence Turner, Mark White, Cheryl Adams, Anthony D'Amato, Suzanne Hagell, Patricia Johnson, Rosemary Johnson, Mike Larson, Stephen Matthews, Rebecca Montgomery, Steve Olson, Matthew Peters, Anantha Prasad, Jack Rajala, Jad Daley, Mae Davenport, Marla R. Emery, David Fehringer, Christopher L. Hoving, Gary Johnson, Lucinda Johnson, David Neitzel, Adena Rissman, Chadwick Rittenhouse, Robert Ziel
Year:	2014
Type:	General Technical Report (GTR)
Station:	Northern Research Station
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-133
Source:	Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-133. Newtown Square, PA; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 228 p.

Download PDF (7867.9 KB)

Cite

Abstract

Forests in northern Minnesota will be affected directly and indirectly by a changing climate over the next 100 years. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in Minnesota's Laurentian Mixed Forest Province to a range of future climates. Information on current forest conditions, observed climate trends, projected climate changes, and impacts to forest ecosystems was considered in order to draw conclusions on climate change vulnerability. Wet Forests, Forested Rich Peatlands, and Acid Peatlands were determined to be the most vulnerable to projected changes in climate, whereas Floodplain Forests, Fire-Dependent Forests, and Mesic Hardwood Forests were determined to be less vulnerable. Projected changes in climate and the associated ecosystem impacts and vulnerabilities will have important implications for economically valuable timber species, forest-dependent wildlife and plants, recreation, and long-range planning.

Keywords

climate change, vulnerability, adaptive capacity, forests, Climate Change Tree Atlas, LANDIS-II, PnET-CN, expert elicitation, climate projections, impacts

Citation

Handler, Stephen; Duveneck, Matthew J.; Iverson, Louis; Peters, Emily; Scheller, Robert M.; Wythers, Kirk R.; Brandt, Leslie; Butler, Patricia; Janowiak, Maria; Shannon, P. Danielle; Swanston, Chris; Barrett, Kelly; Kolka, Randy; McQuiston, Casey; Palik, Brian; Reich, Peter B.; Turner, Clarence; White, Mark; Adams, Cheryl; D'Amato, Anthony; Hagell, Suzanne; Johnson, Patricia; Johnson, Rosemary; Larson, Mike; Matthews, Stephen; Montgomery, Rebecca; Olson, Steve; Peters, Matthew; Prasad, Anantha; Rajala, Jack; Daley, Jad; Davenport, Mae; Emery, Marla R.; Fehringer, David; Hoving, Christopher L.; Johnson, Gary; Johnson, Lucinda; Neitzel, David; Rissman, Adena; Rittenhouse, Chadwick; Ziel, Robert. 2014. Minnesota forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-133. Newtown Square, PA; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 228 p.