Managing forests in a dynamic climate presents some unique challenges. It can be difficult to make adjustments given the degree of uncertainty about how climate and forests will change in the near-term and on sub-regional spatial scales. To respond effectively, forest managers may want to (1) assess whether changes are happening as expected on their lands and (2) identify early warning signs of forest stress.

To address this need, we are developing the Resiliency Assessment Framework that will provide a menu of simple, relevant, and cost-effective metrics for monitoring forest response to climate change. Forest managers can use the information collected through this framework to inform their decision-making.

The final Framework will use a two-tiered approach, with locally relevant metrics (e.g. lightweight additions to existing forest inventory) and an assessment of the larger regional context (e.g. via USFS Forest Inventory & Analysis data and/or remote sensing). This will allow for a comparative assessment of forest health and resilience on managed lands and the surrounding region.

Check back soon for more information.