Tropes

ScienceDaily_2014 07431.txt

#Iconic Minnesota conifers may give way to more broad-leafed forest in the next centuryover the next 100 years Minnesota's iconic boreal forest and deep snow may change into a deciduous forest with winters warm enough for some precipitation to fall as rain according to a new U s. Forest Service assessment of the vulnerability of Minnesota forests to climate change. Minnesota Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment and Synthesis was published by the U s. Forest Service's Northern Research Station and is available online at: http://www. nrs. fs. fed. us/pubs/45939the assessment describes effects of climate change that have already been observed; projected changes in the climate and the landscape; and forest vulnerabilities in a 23.5-million-acre region of forest in northeastern Minnesota. Tree species that are already at the southern end of their range such as balsam fir quaking aspen white spruce and tamarack are expected to decline over the next century while American basswood black cherry eastern white pine red maple sugar maple and white oak may gain suitable habitat across the landscape. By planning ahead foresters and other decision-makers can begin now to manage for resilient landscapes and ensure that the benefits that forests provide are sustained into the future said Michael T. Rains Director of the Northern Research Station and the Forest Products Laboratory. Forest Service science is delivering information and new technology that will help managers in Minnesota and throughout the nation meet this challenge. Changes in Minnesota's climate have been documented over the past century. In general the state is experiencing less snowfall in the area covered by the assessment but more severe winter storms. Mean minimum and maximum temperatures have been increasing across all seasons with winter temperatures experiencing the most rapid warming. Precipitation in the spring and fall has increased with more of that precipitation occurring in deluges of 3 inches or more. What might these changes mean for forests? There are so many variables that will affect the future of forests in northern Minnesota forest managers will probably always have to deal with some amount of uncertainty said Stephen Handler lead author of the vulnerability assessment and a climate change specialist with the Northern Institute for Applied Climate Science (NIACS). But we already know enough right now to begin planning for a range of possible futures. Our assessment gives forest managers in Minnesota the best possible science on the effects of climate change so they can make climate-informed decisions about management today. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by USDA Forest Service-Northern Research Station. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length h

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