Assessment of Habitat Restoration and Adaptation Successes and Opportunities in the Mississippi River’s National Park Post-Emerald Ash Borer Infestation

 
Minnesota’s forests are being impacted by the effects of numerous climate related disturbances, such as invasive species, increased temperatures and flooding, and severe weather. While managers are working to ensure the longevity of these forests, they are facing a lack of information on how forests are responding to these effects and which strategies prove most effective. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will leverage existing data on ecosystem conditions across the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area to develop knowledge and tools to inform effective adapted management decision making to aid in increased forest resilience and productivity.
 
Project Summary
 
Climate change is creating an uncertain future for Minnesota’s forests, with impacts such as invasive species like Emerald Ash Borer, warmer temperatures, more severe weather, and flooding.  Managers are working diligently to ensure the longevity of healthy forests and the critical ecosystem services they provide to wildlife and society, but they need more information on how tree communities are responding to threats and which strategies are most effective to inform future decisions.
 
In the early 2010’s the USGS and NPS invested in data collection to assess current ecosystems conditions across the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. However, these data have not been fully analyzed or utilized for management planning. Additionally, there is an opportunity to add additional data to quantify changes in these systems, especially in considering the spread and impact of emerald ash borer. This project will leverage these data to develop knowledge and tools to guide climate-adapted decision-making, as well as identify key areas to collect updated data to better understand impacts and responses, including comparing areas where actions like tree planting were and were not taken post-EAB, and identifying site conditions that are supporting tree survival.
 
The results of this project will provide detailed information on adapted forest management strategies within citied environments across a wide variety of conditions, species, and early intervention treatments for priority forest communities through maps of areas of highest quality habitat, and those most vulnerable to threats from climate change to prioritize investment to increase resilience. The project will also quantify relationships among environmental variables, site and management history with important species in addition to publications and presentations that will be shared for partners, stakeholders, and broader scientific community.