Climate Change Adaptation Resources

This page lists the major featured resources within the Adaptation Workbook. You can filter this list according to your location. We are regularly adding new resources, but if you are looking for something else, please contact us.

Forest Adaptation Resources: Climate change tools and approaches for land managers, 2nd Edition

This document provides a suite of materials to help land managers to consider climate change and to develop adaptation actions. It does not provide specific recommendations, but rather serves as a decision-support tool for incorporating adaptation considerations into current management objectives.

Mid-Atlantic Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment and Synthesis: A Report from the Mid-Atlantic Climate Change Response Framework

Forest ecosystems will be affected directly and indirectly by a changing climate over the 21st century. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of 11 forest ecosystems in the Mid-Atlantic region (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, eastern Maryland, and southern New York) under a range of future climates. We synthesized and summarized information on the contemporary landscape, provided information on past climate trends, and described a range of projected future climates.

New England and Northern New York Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment and Synthesis: A Report from the New England Climate Change Response Framework Project

This region contains about 40 million acres of forest, which provide numerous cultural, economic, and environmental benefits. Climate change is already having an impact on the region’s forests, increasing damage from extreme precipitation events and insect pests. Future changes could dramatically alter the landscape that characterizes the region.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Northern Sedge Meadow Assessment.

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Northern Sedge Meadow Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

10 Recommendations for Managing Ash Under Emerald Ash Borer and Climate Change

This web page provides 10 recommendations for landowners on how they should manage their ash trees during Emerald Ash Borer and climate change. This includes physiological and silvicultural information on how to promote the survival of ash trees, in addition to why ash trees are important to save.

14 Solutions to Problems Climate Change Poses for Conservation: Examples from the WCS Climate Adaptation Fund

In this report, we describe several climate-driven problems that are projected to affect, or are already affecting, particular wildlife species and ecosystems, and solutions that conservation groups are implementing to help plants and animals respond and adapt. These projects are tangible examples of climate-informed conservation, and can serve as inspiration for others grappling with similar issues.

A Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for Focal Resources of the Sierra Nevada

This vulnerability assessment is an initial science-based effort to identify how and why focal resources (ecosystems, species populations, and ecosystem services) across the Sierra Nevada region are likely to be affected by future climate conditions. The overarching goal is to help resource managers and stakeholders plan their management of these focal resources in light of a changing climate. Specifically, this information can facilitate priority setting for management action and responses, helping to sustain optimal conditions for and productivity of focal resources.

A Landscape-based assessment of climate change vulnerability for all native Hawaiian plants

An interdisciplinary team completed a comprehensive climate change vulnerability assessment for all native Hawaiian plants (1000+ species) to address a critical knowledge gap for resource managers by identifying the change in species’ range under current and projected future climate conditions.

Assessing the Potential Effects of Climate Change on National Forests and Grasslands in Texas

Forestlands in Texas are experiencing increased threats from fire, insect and plant invasions, disease, extreme weather, and drought. Although many of the effects of future changes are negative, natural resource management can help mitigate these impacts.

Assessing the Potential Effects of Climate Change on National Forests in Florida

Forestlands in Florida are experiencing increased threats from fire, insect and plant invasions, disease, extreme weather, and drought. Although many of the effects of future changes are negative, natural resource management can help mitigate these impacts.

Available Science Assessment Process (ASAP): Sea Level Rise in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California

A synthesis and evaluation of the body of scientific knowledge on specific, on-the-ground climate adaptation actions to determine the conditions, timeframes, and geographic areas where particular actions may be most effective for resource managers. This project identified sea level rise-related adaptation actions applied by resource managers, and evaluated the science behind those actions that may inform - if not improve - coastal planning and management in the Northwest.

Carbon stocks and accumulation rates in Pacific Northwest forests: role of stand age, plant community, and productivity

The study examines measured change in live and dead woody C pools from 8767 inventory plots on 9.1 million ha of Pacific Northwest National Forest lands to determine how the balance of tree growth, mortality, and dead wood decomposition varied by stand age, plant community type, and site productivity; and to compare the contribution of different tree sizes to C accumulation

Central Appalachians Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment Summary and Highlights

Ecosystems will increasingly be affected by a changing climate. Understanding these potential impacts is an important first step to sustaining healthy forests in the face of changing conditions. As part of the Central Appalachians Climate Change Response Framework project, more than 40 scientists and forest managers collaborated to assess the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in this region to the likely range of projected climate change.

Central Hardwoods Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment Summary and Highlights

Ecosystems will increasingly be affected by a changing climate. Understanding these potential impacts is an important first step to sustaining healthy forests in the face of changing conditions. As part of the Central Hardwoods Climate Change Response Framework project, more than 30 scientists and forest managers collaborated to assess the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in this region to the likely range of climate change.

Chicago Wilderness region urban forest vulnerability assessment and synthesis: A report from the Urban Forestry Climate Change Response Framework Chicago Wilderness pilot project

The urban forest of the Chicago Wilderness region, a 7-million-acre area covering portions of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, will face direct and indirect impacts from a changing climate over the 21st century. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of urban trees and natural and developed landscapes within the Chicago Wilderness region to a range of future climates. We synthesized and summarized information on the contemporary landscape, provided information on past climate trends, and illustrated a range of projected future climates.

Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE)

The Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE) is managed by EcoAdapt and aims to build a shared knowledge base for managing natural and built systems in the face of rapid climate change. Find Adaptation and Vulnerability Assessments and Reports, Case Studies and Tools to help assess climate change impacts relevant to the region and resource area that you work within.

Climate Adaptations in the Northeast’s Forest Products Supply Chain: A Vulnerability Assessment for the Primary Forest Products Sector

Changes in the climate, including warmer winters and increased precipitation during some parts of the year, are having a significant influence on the Northeast’s forest products supply chain. A recent report describes specifics of climate impacts and adaptations for three links in the Northeast’s forest products supply chain. Topics include: harvest scheduling, BMPs, roads, and forest health.

Climate Change and Adaptation: Mid-Atlantic Forests

Forests are a prominent feature of the landscape across the Mid-Atlantic region. The first three sections of this story map highlight key themes from the report and describe the general effects of anticipated changes across the region. The final section shows what foresters and land managers are doing to protect these forests and all of the benefits they provide for us.

Climate Change and Adaptation: New England and Northern New York Forests

The first three sections of this story map highlight key themes from the report and describe the general effects of anticipated changes across the region. The final section shows what foresters and land managers are doing to protect these forests and all of the benefits they provide for us.

Climate Change and Forest Trees in the Pacific Northwest: A Vulnerability Assessment and Recommended Actions for National Forests

The objective of this study is to assess the vulnerability of forest trees of Washington and Oregon to climate change and to propose practical management actions that will work under a variety of future climate scenarios and will conserve biodiversity and increase resiliency in Pacific Northwest national forests.

Climate change and New Hampshire Reports

Climate Solutions New England provides climate-related information of use to a broad range of New England decision makers, including planners, resource managers, businesses, and municipal and state government representatives.

Climate Change and Wildfire: What it means to tribes and how we can adapt

Over the last 100 years, average global temperatures have increased by approximately 1.2° C (2.2° F) due to increasing atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2). As the seasons progress, forests have less summer water source making them more prone to drought and ultimately, more vulnerable to wildfires. Tribes can adapt to increased wildfire risk and reduce wildfire occurrence.

Climate Change in Colorado: A Synthesis to Support Water Resources Management and Adaptation

The Colorado Climate Report is a synthesis of climate change science important for Colorado’s
water supply. It focuses on observed trends, modeling, and projections of temperature, precipitation, snowmelt,
and runoff. The report summarizes Colorado-specific findings from peer-reviewed regional studies, and presents
new graphics derived from existing datasets. The following are highlights from the Report.

Climate Change in Colorado: A Synthesis to Support Water Resources Management and Adaptation

he Climate Change in Colorado report (Lukas et al. 2014) is a synthesis of climate science relevant for management and planning for Colorado’s water resources. It focuses on observed climate trends, climate modeling, and projections of temperature, precipitation, snowpack, and streamflow.

Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation in the Intermountain Region

This is a Storymap that focuses on the intermountain region. Topics of focus include water, fisheries, forestry, and recreation.

The Intermountain Adaptation Partnership (IAP) is a science-management partnership with a wide variety of participants across the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Intermountain Region, which spans Nevada, Utah, southern Idaho, eastern California, and western Wyoming.

Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation in the Intermountain Region Part 1

The vulnerability assessment emphasized key resource areas—water, fisheries, vegetation and disturbance, wildlife, recreation, infrastructure, cultural heritage, and ecosystem services—regarded as the most important for ecosystems and human communities

Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation in the Intermountain Region Part 2

The vulnerability assessment emphasized key resource areas—water, fisheries, vegetation and disturbance, wildlife, recreation, infrastructure, cultural heritage, and ecosystem services—regarded as the most important for ecosystems and human communities

Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for the North-central California Coast and Ocean

EcoAdapt, the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, and other regional partners conducted a vulnerability assessment to identify how and why focal resources across the North-central California coast and ocean region are likely to be affected by future climate conditions. Climate change vulnerability of 44 focal resources, including eight habitats, populations of 31 species, and five ecosystem services was assessed by considering exposure and sensitivity to climate changes and non-climate stressors and adaptive capacity.

Climate Change Vulnerability assessment of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in the U.S Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region

Six priority ecosystems were identified in the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region: alpine turf and dwarf-shrubland; aquatic, riparian, and wetland ecosystems in glaciated valleys; subalpine spruce-fir; low-gradient mountain stream reaches; ponderosa pine; and Great Plains streams and riparian areas. Vulnerability to nonclimate and climate stressors for these priority ecosystems is assessed.

Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin - Non-forested wetlands Assessment.

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Non-forested wetlands Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Climate Vulnerabilities in the Northern Forests

Forests are a defining landscape feature across the footprint of the Northern Forests Climate Hub, which spans the Midwest and Northeast Regional Climate Hubs. Northern forests contain 42% of all US forests, 32% of US timberlands, and 41% of the US population, and are central to ecological, economic, and cultural values in the region. These ecosystems are already responding to changing conditions, and climate change is anticipated to have a pervasive influence on forests and wildlife over the coming decades.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Alder Thicket Assessment.

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Alder Thicket Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Boreal Rich Fen Assessment

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Boreal Rich Fen Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Calcareous Fen Assessment

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Calcareous Fen Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Central poor Fen Assessment

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Central poor Fen Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Coastal Plain Marsh Assessment

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Coastal Plain Marsh Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Emergent Marsh Assessment.

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Emergent Marsh Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Ephemeral ponds Assessment.

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Ephemeral ponds Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Moist Sandy Meadows Assessment.

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Moist Sandy Meadows Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Pattered Peatland Assessment.

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Pattered Peatland Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Southern Sedge Meadow Assessment.

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Southern Sedge Meadow Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Southern Tamarack Swamp Assessment.

Wisconsin Initiative on Change Impacts [WICCI]. 2017. Climate Vulnerability Assessments for Plant Communities of Wisconsin. Southern Tamarack Swamp Assessment. Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, Madison, WI.

Colorado's Forests in a Changing Climate

Colorado’s climate, like that of the rest of the planet, is undergoing significant change. Specifically, our state has experienced increasingly warmer temperatures in recent decades, as compared to longer-term averages. As a result, changes to forest environments already are occurring. What do these changes mean for Colorado forests, and for forest landowners?

Confronting Climate Change in New Mexico

Climate change is altering fundamental weather patterns— affecting temperatures, water availability, and weather extremes—that shape the lives of New Mexicans. As a result, the infrastructure and resource-management plans designed for the conditions of the past may not meet future needs of the farmers, ranchers, outdoor enthusiasts, and other residents of New Mexico.

Considering Vermont’s Future in a Changing Climate: The First Vermont Climate Assessment.

The Vermont Climate Assessment (VCA) paints a vivid picture of a changing climate in Vermont and calls for immediate strategic planning to sustain the social, economic and environmental fabric of our state. The VCA is the first state-scale climate assessment in the country and speaks directly to the impacts of climate change as they pertain to our rural towns, cities and communities, including impacts on Vermont tourism and recreation, agriculture, natural resources and energy.

EcoAdapt Hawaiian Islands Climate Vulnerability and Adaptation Synthesis

this report is a comprehensive, science-based syntheses of current and projected future climate impacts on, and adaptation options for, terrestrial and freshwater resources within the main Hawaiian Islands. This project is part of the Pacific Islands Climate Change Cooperative's multi-year Hawaiian Islands Terrestrial Adaptation Initiative. Find Vulnerability Syntheses, Adaptation Summaries and Brief reports for each island: Maui, Lāna'i, Kaho'olawe, O'ahu, Hawai'i, Kaua'i.

Forest Carbon: An Essential Natural Solution for Climate Change

Many landowners have begun to ask how their forest management strategy affects the carbon within their forest and thus the forest’s ability to mitigate climate change. Every strategy has its tradeoffs; therefore, to meet all of society’s needs, we will ultimately need a mix of passive and active strategies across the region.

Forest Carbon: An essential natural solution for climate change

This publication describes the role of carbon within the forest, the impacts of various land uses on forest carbon and outlines common trade-offs landowners may experience when making informed decisions regarding their lands. This publication was co-created by the University of Massachusetts and University of Vermont and centers on New England regional forestlands, although concepts may apply generally to other areas of the United States.

Gunnison Basin Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment for the Gunnison Climate Working Group

This report summarizes the results of a landscape-scale climate change vulnerability assessment of the Upper Gunnison Basin (above Blue Mesa Reservoir; referred to as Gunnison Basin in this report) to determine the relative vulnerability of 24 ecosystems and 73 species of conservation concern, using methods developed by Manomet Center for Conservation Science and NatureServe.

Healthy Forest for Our Future: A Management Guide to Increase Carbon Storage in Northeast Forests

This management guide describes 10 forest management practices that can increase short term carbon storage for hardwood forests in the Northeast US and has general applications across many forest types. These practices also improve forest resilience against climate change impacts. These practices were chosen independently of cost, but sources of funding for each practice are also described in the guide.

Helping your woodland adapt to a changing climate

Your woods are always changing and adapting as they grow and mature, or regrow after agricultural abandonment, natural disturbances, or harvesting activities. Events like storms, droughts, insect and disease outbreaks, or other stressors can damage trees or slow their growth. A changing climate may make your woods more susceptible to the problems these events can cause. The source focuses on Maryland.

Helping your woodland adapt to a changing climate

Your woods are always changing and adapting as they grow and mature, or regrow after agricultural abandonment, natural disturbances, or harvesting activities. Events like storms, droughts, insect and disease outbreaks, or other stressors can damage trees or slow their growth. A changing climate may make your woods more susceptible to the problems these events can cause.

Impacts in Colorado

Have you ever stopped to think what Colorado might look like in a warmer, drier climate?

Climate change isn’t just about melting ice caps and threatened polar bears. Mountain species have evolved to thrive in narrow temperature ranges and mountain ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to climate alterations.

Increasing the Resiliency of Forests in New England: A Weather-Wise Worksheet for Private Woodland Owners

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences developed this worksheet to help New England woodland owners deal with changing weather and climate. Landowners are encouraged to use this worksheet with their forester. This workbook lays out four steps to help you prepare for climate change

Keep Forests Healthy: A Tool to Assess Resilience, Health & Productivity

The tool provides a rapid and simple process to assess forest resiliency. This publication contains background information on important characteristics of resilient and healthy forests and examples of potential adaptation strategies. It is accompanied by a scorecard to be used in the field to evaluate the resiliency of a forest.

Learning modules - Climate Change Primers

The USDA Forest Service has created comprehensive climate change education modules to help land managers better understand the basic climate change science, the effects of climate change on forest and grassland ecosystems, how we can respond to climate change with management and forest carbon science, policy, and management. Start here to learn about climate change, how it may influence land management, and what options are open to natural resource managers for responding to these changes.

Maine’s Climate Future - 2015 Update

Maine’s Climate Future 2015 builds on the Maine’s Climate Future 2009 report. It is not intended as a comprehensive revision of all aspects of the original report. This update focuses on highlights of our understanding in 2015 of past, present, and future trends in key indicators of a changing climate specific to Maine, and recent examples of how Maine people are experiencing these changes.

Maine’s Climate Future: An Initial Assessment

This report considers past change over geologic time, recent evidence of accelerated rates of change, and the implications of continued climate change in Maine during the 21st century as a result of greenhouse gas emissions and their associated pollutants. Even if a coordinated response succeeds in eliminating excess greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the century, something that appears highly unlikely today, climate change will continue because the elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) can persist in the atmosphere for thousands of years to come.

Mid-Atlantic Climate Change Response Framework

The Mid-Atlantic Framework project is in development. We are bringing together a team of federal, state, and tribal land management organizations, conservation organizations and private forest owners. You can learn more about the activities of the Mid-Atlantic Climate Change Response Framework project by visiting the ForestAdaptation.Org site.

Mid-Atlantic Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment Summary and Highlights

Evidence of climate change can already be observed in the Mid-Atlantic region. Understanding vulnerabilities is an important first step to sustaining healthy forests and ecosystems in the face of changing conditions. As part of the Mid-Atlantic Climate Change Response Framework project, more than 40 scientists and forest managers collaborated to assess the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in this region to the range of projected climate change

Modeling land use change and forest carbon stock changes in temperate forests in the United States

Researchers created a model that predicts the probability of land-use change from forest to non-forest and carbon stocks across the US. Over 17 years, 3% of the study area shifted from forest to mixed or non-forest, with a higher probability of change in non-public forests than public forests, as well as areas closer to cities and coastal areas. This could be due to population growth and housing rates growth.

New England and Northern New York Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment Summary and Highlights

The area’s forests will increasingly be affected by a changing climate. Understanding the potential impacts is an important first step to sustaining healthy forests in the face of changing conditions. As part of New England Climate Change Response Framework, more than 30 scientists and natural resource professionals collaborated to assess the vulnerability of the region’s forests across a range of possible future climates.

New York Climate Change Science Clearinghouse

This website serves as a regional gateway to data and information relevant to climate change adaptation and mitigation across New York State. It provides climate science data, maps, tools, documents, websites, and other resources for policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and the public, to support scientifically sound and cost-effective decision making. The vision is a dynamic site where users can find information in multiple ways, including through interactive tools that use data from different sources.

North Carolina's Emerging Forest Threats: Management Options for Healthy Forests

Forest landowners are seeing increased pressure from threats like fire, insects, disease, extreme weather, and drought on their land and resources. The last decade has brought record droughts to North Carolina, increasing wildfires, expanding insect and plant invasions, and more intense hurricane and tornado events. However, there are forest management strategies that can be used to decrease the risk from these threats.

Northwoods: Michigan Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment Summary and Highlights

Michigan’s forests will increasingly be affected by a changing climate. Understanding these potential impacts is an important first step to sustaining healthy forests in the face of changing conditions. As part of the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project, more than 30 scientists and forest managers collaborated to assess the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula.

Northwoods: Minnesota Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment Summary and Highlights

Minnesota’s forests will increasingly be affected by a changing climate. Understanding these potential impacts is an important first step to sustaining healthy forests in the face of changing conditions. As part of the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project, more than 30 scientists and forest managers collaborated to assess the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in this region to the likely range of climate change.

Northwoods: Wisconsin/Michigan Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment Summary and Highlights

The area’s forests will increasingly be affected by a changing climate. Understanding these potential impacts is an important first step to sustaining healthy forests in the face of changing conditions. As part of the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project, more than 40 scientists and natural resource professionals collaborated to assess the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula.

Philadelphia Region Urban Forest Impacts and Vulnerability

Urban forests will experience local climate change impacts in the coming decades. A key first step to adapting to these changes is understanding the potential impacts and vulnerabilities of the urban forest. Urban forests play an important role in helping communities adapt to and mitigate climate change because they reduce the urban heat island effect, control storm water, and store carbon.

PINEMAP Decision Support System

Pine Integrated Network: Education, Mitigation, and Adaptation Project (PINEMAP) is a large, collaborative project to study planted loblolly pine forests in the Southeast US. PINEMAP is focused on 20 million acres of planted pine forests that are managed by private landowners from Virginia through Texas. The PINEMAP Decision Support System (DSS) is a suite of tools tailored to the needs of professional foresters in an effort to assist with their decision-making process.

Predicting the Unpredictable: Potential Climate Change Impacts on Vegetation in the Pacific Northwest

Two Pacific Northwest Research Station scientists and their collaborators reviewed and synthesized extensive scientific knowledge and summarized model projections that describe vegetation vulnerability to climate-related environmental changes in the Pacific Northwest.

Regional climate trends and scenarios for the U.S. National Climate Assessment: Climate of the Northeast U.S.

This document is one of series of regional climate descriptions designed to provide input that can be used in the development of the National Climate Assessment (NCA). There are two components of these descriptions. One component is a description of the historical climate conditions in the region. The other component is a description of the climate conditions associated with two future pathways of greenhouse gas emissions based on IPCC emission scenarios.

Seasonality and Climate Change: A Review of Observed Evidence in the United States

This EPA report describes how seasonal events in the US are impacted by climate change, and the implications of the effects on seasonality. The science behind seasonal events and how climate change can impact events are described in the main report, while the technical appendix describes the methods of evaluation and the system used to choose indicators.

The role of reforestation in carbon sequestration

This article describes research on reforestation of cultivated lands and its effect on carbon sequestration in the US. It finds that soils store most of the carbon in ecosystems, and reforesting cultivated lands increases the carbon storage of topsoil. Carbon sequestration also doubles to triples in woody biomass after planting for at least 20 to 30 years.

The State of Climate Adaptation in Water Resources Management: Southeastern United States and U.S. Caribbean

EcoAdapt report is to provide a brief overview of key climate change impacts and a review of the prevalent work occurring on climate change adaptation in the Southeastern United States and Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) comprise the U.S. Caribbean region. This report focuses on water resources.

The vulnerabilities of fish and wildlife in the Northeast to climate change

This project completed three assessments of the vulnerability of terrestrial, aquatic, and coastal habitats (ecosystems) to climate change, including sea level rise. One assessment evaluated 13 terrestrial and wetland habitat types, the second evaluated cold water stream habitats, and the third evaluated coastal habitats. A database of coastal climate change projects and tools was also developed.

The Vulnerabilities of Northeastern Fish and Wildlife Habitats to Climate Change

A report to the Northeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the North Atlantic LCC from the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences and the National Wildlife Federation. One of three reports in a series on vulnerabilities to climate change of northeast fish and wildlife habitats.

There’s Carbon in Them Thar Hills: But How Much? Could Pacific Northwest Forests Store More?

The scientists found that forested lands store carbon at a rate of 7 million metric tons per year. Although older forest stands and individual large trees store more carbon than younger trees, younger forests and small trees accumulate carbon at a faster rate per acre.

Third National Climate Assessment - Hawaii

Warmer oceans are leading to increased coral bleaching and disease outbreaks and changing distribution of tuna fisheries. Freshwater supplies will become more limited on many islands. Coastal flooding and erosion will increase. Mounting threats to food and water security, infrastructure, health, and safety are expected to lead to increasing human migration.

Understanding forest soil carbon and useful resources for real-world management applications

This web page describes the importance of forest soil carbon, especially in the Lake States, as well as patterns of carbon storage across landscapes, and provides several tools that can help inform management decisions.

Using a Riparian Corridor Index to Prioritize Climate Migration Routes in the Pacific Northwest

Habitat suitability in the Pacific Northwest has shifted over the last century forcing organisms to move along climate gradients in order to track the same temperature regime. Riparian habitats have long been cited as a means to facilitate movement of species along these corridors because their microclimates are cooler compared to surrounding areas. Restoring all riparian zones without characterization may overlook some corridors that differ in quality and protection status.

Vermont Climate Change Mapping Tool and Climate Grapher Tool

The State of Vermont is pleased to introduce two new tools developed to help Vermonters explore what climate change will mean for the state and for particular regions and communities. These tools are your gateway to scientifically sound and cost-effective decision-making relevant to climate change in Vermont. Understanding and preparing for those changes is one of the best investments we can make.