Developing adaptive forest management strategies to cope with climate change

Abstract

Numerous investigations have indicated that projected climate change will impact strongly on forest growth and composition. To adapt managed forests to changing environmental conditions it may be necessary to modify traditional forest management strategies. An extended version of a forest gap model was applied to a managed forest district in northeastern Germany. The model was initialized with forest inventory data and run using routines devised to simulate three management scenarios: (1) maximized timber production, (2) climatically well-adapted forest composition, and (3) maximized tree species diversity. The strategies were compared with a baseline scenario of traditional management without any response to climate change. The comparisons were based on simulated wood production and species composition after 110 years of development. The results underline the important influence that management strategies have on forest growth. Forest management may adopt a variety of strategies to respond to the expected changes in climate. Process-oriented forest gap models can aid in the assessment of these strategies.

Management of mixed oak-pine forests under climate

“…Gutsch et al / Forest Systems (2011) 20(3), 453-563 riation between management scenarios. This confirms recent climate impact studies which find a much stronger effect of management-related issues such as cutting cycle, age structure of the forest or management history than of climate change in managed European forests (Lindner, 2000).…”

Climate change impacts and adaptation in forest management: a review

“…Most papers considering adaptation since the early 2000s have related to the integration of adaptation and forest management (e.g. Lindner 2000;Spittlehouse 2005;Kellomaki et al 2008;Guariguata 2009;Bolte et al 2009;Keskitalo 2011;Keenan 2012;Temperli et al 2012).…”

Modelling bark beetle disturbances in a large scale forest scenario model to assess climate change impacts and evaluate adaptive management strategies

“…A static PNV derived from ecological field classifications is neglecting climate change-induced alterations of ecosystem dynamics. In the context of adaptation targeted conversion to resilient species compositions adapted to future climate conditions is thus necessary (Lindner 2000). A further option to reduce bark beetle damages might be a shortening of rotation periods to reduce particularly susceptible stand development phases (Spiecker 2003).…”