Climate Change Effects on Vegetation in the Pacifi c Northwest: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientifi c Literature and Simulation Model Projections

By: Agriculture, U. S. Department of

The purpose of this study was to review scientifi c knowledge and model projectionson vegetation vulnerability to climatic and other environmental changes inthe Pacifi c Northwest, with emphasis on fi ve major biome types: subalpine forestsand alpine meadows, maritime coniferous forests, dry coniferous forests, savannasand woodlands (oak and juniper), and interior shrub-steppe. We started byreviewing and synthesizing the scientifi c literature on past and projected changesin atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and climate for the Pacifi c Northwest(and globally), and how these changes are likely to infl uence snowpack dynamics, soil water availability, and selected disturbance regimes. We also reviewed andsynthesized the scientifi c literature on plant growth, reproduction, and mortalityin response to changing climate and disturbance regimes, and on the ability ofplants to adapt to these changes through phenotypic plasticity, local adaptation, and migration. We then reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of several typesof simulation models commonly used to project vegetation responses to climatechange and discussed recent model projections of vegetation responses to futureclimate change scenarios in the Pacifi c Northwest, as well as how these projectionsmight best be used in developing management plans for forests and rangelands.We next reviewed the existing scientifi c literature on plant sensitivity and adaptationto changing climate and disturbance regimes for fi ve major vegetation biomesin the Pacifi c Northwest. We concluded with a discussion of current approaches andresources for developing climate change adaptation strategies, including restoringhistorical vegetation structure and composition, promoting resistance to change, promoting resilience to change, and facilitating anticipated responses to change.Keywords: Climate change, Pacifi c Northwest, forests, rangela

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1974398854
• ISBN13: 9781974398850
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 198 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.5" x 11.0"