Climate

New guidebook for managing national forests in face of climate change

smccreary — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:12:07 -0500

The Forest Service's western research stations have developed a four-part framework to help resource managers at the nation's 155 national forests manage their landscapes for resilience to climate change. The guidelines are published in "Responding to Climate Change on National Forests: A Guidebook for Developing Adaptation Options, a new report published by the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station."

Scientists: include trees in climate modeling

smccreary — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:19:23 -0500

Current climate models and projections may be inaccurate because measurements are based on guidelines that do not include the effects of trees on the local climate, according to agroforestry experts from the World Agroforestry Centre in the new book, "How people and trees can co-adapt to climate change."

Texas drought may have claimed half a billion trees

smccreary — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:18:38 -0500

A survey released Monday by the Texas Forest Service estimates 100 million to 500 million trees, or 2% to 10% of the state's 4.9 billion trees, have been killed by the severe drought, which began last year.

Study: Climate change to affect New York State in many ways

smccreary — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:39:41 -0500

A new assessment of the impact that climate change will have in New York State is detailed in a 600-page report, commissioned by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Fir and spruce trees are expected to die out in the Catskills, and New York City's backup drinking water supply may well be contaminated as a result of seawater making its way farther up the Hudson River, among other scenarios.

Pine trees help reconstruct a long-ago drought

smccreary — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:07:43 -0500

Analyzing tree rings to reconstruct ancient climates, researchers have found compelling evidence of a long dry spell in the Southwest stretching through the first four centuries of the Christian era and punctuated by more acute dry stretches.

Report provides new analysis of carbon accounting, biomass use, and climate benefits

smccreary — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:47:30 -0500

A recent report provides new ideas surrounding carbon and energy benefits forests and forest products provide.

New study on impact of climate change on Western forests

smccreary — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:14:30 -0400

Oregon State University has released a new study that says climate change, insect attacks, diseases and fire are causing huge migration of trees across the West.

Trees not adapting well to climate change

smccreary — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:57:09 -0400

Findings from a Duke University-led study of U.S. forests show "a lack of evidence for climate-mediated migration, and should increase concern for the risks posed by climate change." Nearly 59 percent of the species examined in the study showed signs that their geographic ranges are contracting from both the north and south.

Water a critical piece of the forests-climate puzzle

smccreary — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:57:24 -0400

"There is another crucial link between our forests and life on earth that was not mentioned in your article. When forests are threatened, fresh water supplies are threatened." Scott Steen, chief executive at American Forests, responds to a New York Times article on forests and climate.

Forest losses lead to climate worries in the U.S. and globally

smccreary — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:02:48 -0400

Experts are scrambling to understand how forest losses from insects, wildfire and droughts might affect climate and the future habitability of the Earth. Scientists have found that forests have been absorbing more than a quarter of the carbon dioxide that people are putting into the air by burning fossil fuels and other activities.