Climate change

The global climate is warming and will continue to do so for at least several decades. Although the distribution and extent of future warming is uncertain at a regional scale, it is expected that additional impacts will occur as a result of higher temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and more frequent storms, droughts, and wildfires. This concept of uncertain but changing climate, with the attendant range of ecosystem responses to changing climate, will need to be incorporated into management, policy, and planning. NIACS is working to help land managers and others respond to these impacts by enhancing the ability of forests to adapt to changing climate conditions, as well as to mitigate increased levels of greenhouse gases that are responsible for climate change.

Climate Change Response Framework
The Framework is an integrated set of tools, partnerships, and actions to support climate smart conservation, and it provides a collaborative approach to incorporate climate change into forest management. The Framework covers three large regions across the eastern United States: the Northwoods, the Central Hardwoods, and the Central Appalachians. Each regional project interweaves four components - science and management partnerships, vulnerability assessments, adaptation resources, and demonstration projects.   More about this project > >

Training in Advanced Climate Change Topics
The Training in Advanced Climate Change Topics course was developed for Forest Service personnel to provide advanced instruction on climate change science and ecosystem response as well as increase institutional capacity for incorporating climate change into management activities on National Forests. More about this project > >

Climate Change Resource Center
The Climate Change Resource Center (CCRC) provides natural resource managers with access to science-based information and tools concerning ecosystem management and climate change. Its online portal offers original syntheses of land management topics written by scientists and resource specialists, in-depth video presentations that cover a wide range of climate change adaptation and mitigation topics, and access to a variety of tools and recommended literature.More about this project > >

Forest Management for an Uncertain Climate Future
Educational materials and presentations on climate change science, forest response, and management strategies for adaptation and mitigation have been developed for land managers in the north central and northeastern United States. More about this project > >

Additional Resources

• U.S. Forest Service Climate Change Resource Center
• U.S. Forest Service Office of the Climate Change Advisor
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
• NASA Global Climate Change Website
• Pew Center on Global Climate Change