USGS researchers are studying how forests respond to disturbance and drought and evaluating how forests may respond to future climate variability.
Drought is one of the biggest threats facing our forests today. In the western U.S., severe drought and rising temperatures have caused increased tree mortality and complete forest diebacks. Forests are changing rapidly, and while land managers are working to develop long-term climate change adaptation plans, they require tools that can enhance forest resistance to drought now. To address this immediate need, researchers are examining whether a common forest management tool, prescribed fire, can be implemented to help forests better survive drought.
Severe droughts cause widespread tree mortality and decreased growth in forests across the globe—even in areas with cooler climates. Mitigating the negative effects of climate change, in particular increased drought frequency and severity, poses a major challenge to forest managers. We are identifying which forest management practices best minimize drought impacts for a range of forest types and climates in the U.S. Researchers are using eight long-term forest management experiments that are already underway across the country to identify how different forest management practices can increase the resistance and resilience of forests to drought.
The warmer temperatures and harsher droughts in the west that are related to climate change are causing die-offs of many trees. Outbreaks of insects, like the mountain pine beetle, that kill trees are more likely in warmer, drier conditions. We are conducting a pilot study focusing on mountain pine beetles and whitebark pine trees in western Montana. Researchers are investigating whether the current mountain pine beetle outbreak has resulted in the selection (survival and reproduction) of drought tolerant, and consequently, beetle resistant whitebark pines. They will examine tree core samples, tree resin, and pine needles to understand characteristics of the remaining forests and to collect DNA. From this work, the team expects to develop an easy and economical approach for screening whitebark pine trees for drought tolerance, beetle resistance, and genetic diversity that can be used in the conservation and restoration of this threatened, ecologically important high elevation tree, and other conifers experiencing climate-driven bark beetle outbreaks.
What Climate Change Means for North America’s Most Widespread Tree
Aspen woodlands are both “biological hotspots” and “keystone ecosystems” in the western United States, meaning that loss of aspen will result in the loss of numerous other plant and animal species. Aspen is currently undergoing a region-wide decline, and climate-change predictions show that within 50 years approximately 40% of western aspen stands will no longer have a suitable climate. The intent of this research is to investigate the fundamental controls on aspen productivity and survivability across the central and northern Rockies, and to specifically project the likely effects of altered moisture and fire regimes on aspen under climate change.
USGS researchers are studying how forests respond to disturbance and drought and evaluating how forests may respond to future climate variability.
Drought is one of the biggest threats facing our forests today. In the western U.S., severe drought and rising temperatures have caused increased tree mortality and complete forest diebacks. Forests are changing rapidly, and while land managers are working to develop long-term climate change adaptation plans, they require tools that can enhance forest resistance to drought now. To address this immediate need, researchers are examining whether a common forest management tool, prescribed fire, can be implemented to help forests better survive drought.
Severe droughts cause widespread tree mortality and decreased growth in forests across the globe—even in areas with cooler climates. Mitigating the negative effects of climate change, in particular increased drought frequency and severity, poses a major challenge to forest managers. We are identifying which forest management practices best minimize drought impacts for a range of forest types and climates in the U.S. Researchers are using eight long-term forest management experiments that are already underway across the country to identify how different forest management practices can increase the resistance and resilience of forests to drought.
The warmer temperatures and harsher droughts in the west that are related to climate change are causing die-offs of many trees. Outbreaks of insects, like the mountain pine beetle, that kill trees are more likely in warmer, drier conditions. We are conducting a pilot study focusing on mountain pine beetles and whitebark pine trees in western Montana. Researchers are investigating whether the current mountain pine beetle outbreak has resulted in the selection (survival and reproduction) of drought tolerant, and consequently, beetle resistant whitebark pines. They will examine tree core samples, tree resin, and pine needles to understand characteristics of the remaining forests and to collect DNA. From this work, the team expects to develop an easy and economical approach for screening whitebark pine trees for drought tolerance, beetle resistance, and genetic diversity that can be used in the conservation and restoration of this threatened, ecologically important high elevation tree, and other conifers experiencing climate-driven bark beetle outbreaks.
What Climate Change Means for North America’s Most Widespread Tree
Aspen woodlands are both “biological hotspots” and “keystone ecosystems” in the western United States, meaning that loss of aspen will result in the loss of numerous other plant and animal species. Aspen is currently undergoing a region-wide decline, and climate-change predictions show that within 50 years approximately 40% of western aspen stands will no longer have a suitable climate. The intent of this research is to investigate the fundamental controls on aspen productivity and survivability across the central and northern Rockies, and to specifically project the likely effects of altered moisture and fire regimes on aspen under climate change.