(click here to download a pdf of this bulletin or a one-page synopsis) by Jennifer H. Shakun In this bulletin, we delve into an active area of climate research that is investigating how warming may affect atmospheric circulation and lead to more extreme weather. In recent years, major flooding events, heat waves, and droughts, have […]
(click here to download a pdf of this complete article or a one-page synopsis) By Jennifer Hushaw Shakun Hurricanes pose a major risk to infrastructure and human safety, but they are also a significant disturbance agent in our forests, often leaving impacts that persist for decades. The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season included a number of […]
(click here to download a pdf of the full bulletin or a one-page synopsis) By Jennifer Hushaw Shakun Climate-driven changes in pests and disease are already causing significant near-term impacts on forest health—a reality that we highlighted in an earlier bulletin on Forest Pests and Climate Change. Notably, several important native pests, including spruce budworm […]
(click to download a formatted pdf of this complete article or a one-page synopsis) By Jennifer Hushaw Disturbance shapes the character and composition of ecosystems and it is “a pervasive feature of forests” (Perry 1994). Wildfires, blowdowns, pests and other disturbance agents affect the spatial patterns of vegetation and ecosystem processes, creating a diversity of […]
(click to download a pdf of this complete article or download a one-page synopsis) By Jennifer Hushaw There has been significant debate and research about where, how quickly, and to what degree our forests will shift with the changing climate. These questions have primarily been tackled through modeling (e.g., see Modeling Future Forests bulletin) or […]
(click here to download a pdf of this full article or a one-page synopsis) By Jennifer Hushaw Phenology is the study of the seasonal rhythms of plants and animals, especially the timing of natural cycles as related to weather and climate. It is a sensitive indicator of climate change, with far reaching implications for ecosystem processes, […]
(click here to download a formatted pdf of this full article or a one-page synopsis) By Jennifer Hushaw In previous bulletins, we described how climate change is altering the frequency and intensity of certain types of extreme weather (see Climate Change and Extreme Weather: Part 1) and how these extremes shape plant communities, forest health, […]
(click here to download a pdf of this complete article or a one-page synopsis) By Jennifer Hushaw & Si Balch In Part I, we discussed the recent rise in U.S. wildfire, the evidence suggesting climate is a major driver of that increase, and the reality that future increases in temperature and drought frequency (in some […]
(click here to download a pdf of the full article or a one-page synopsis) By Jennifer Hushaw Wildfire has been a hot topic in the media lately, with California ablaze due to a combination of dangerous fire weather, on-going drought, and scores of drought- and beetle-killed trees. Most recently, the Blue Cut Fire (pictured above) […]
(click here to download a pdf of this complete article) By Eric Walberg Introduction Optimizing forest management to account for the risks and opportunities posed by climate change is a challenge on many fronts. Limitations in the precision of climate models, uncertainties about natural system response, and the need to integrate climate concerns with other […]