Productivity of America's forests and climate change

This study assessed the impact of climatic change on the forestry sector and carbon storage on timberlands. Productivity changes reflected ecosystem sensitivities to temperature, precipi tation, and nutrient availability. The largest increases in net primary production (NPP) occurred in the northerly ecosystems, and the least response to climate change occurred in timber management types in the southern regions. Increased timber inventories decreased prices, imports, and shifted production to low cost regions. In this analysis, only the most optimistic scenario shifts future forests from sources of carbon to a carbon sink. The strong demand for wood products in the future dampens any positive growth effects on forests. for all but the maximum scenario.