Tuesday, February 6, 2007

NE Forests 2100: A Synthesis of Climate Change Research on Northern Forest Ecosystems in the Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada.

Lindsey Rustad1, Roger Cox2, Marc DeBlois3, Jeff Dukes4, Allison Magill5, Andrew Richardson5, Mark Watson6, and Norman Willard7. (1) USDA Forest Service, 35 Crystal Lane, Cumberland, ME 04021-9538, (2) Canadian Forest Service, Fredericton, NB Brunswick E3, Canada, (3) Gouvernement du Québec, Quebec, QC G1C 2X4, Canada, (4) University of Massachussetts, Boston, MA 02125, (5) University of New Hampshire, Complex Research Center, Durham, NH 03824, (6) NYSERDA, Albany, NY 12203, (7) EPA, Boston, MA 02114

NE Forests 2100:  A Synthesis of Climate Change Research in the Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada was initiated in July 2005.  The goals of this two-year program are to  (1) summarize the accumulating climate variability and change research on northern forest ecosystems in the region, and (2) make this summary available to policy makers, land and resource managers, and the interested public.  The program goals will be accomplished in a three-phase process. Phase 1 will involve a survey of end-users to assess what type of information would be most useful and relevant, and what format(s)  would be most accessible. Phase 2 will involve a scientific synthesis of climate variability and change research in the region, resulting in a peer reviewed paper.  This document will include (1) a review of the historical record of climate within the region, (2) environmental indicators of this past climate change, (3) updated climate projections for the region, (4) current research on these issues within the region, (5) ecological implications of this change for the northern forest, and (6) future scientific research needs.  Phase 3 will translate this document for the non-scientific community.  This project is unique in that it will (1) update the work done for the New England Regional Assessment, (2) include the northern forest regions of Eastern Canada as well as the northeastern United States, and (3) focus primarily on the northern forest ecosystem.