Forest Resource Dynamics Extension Programming and Adapting to Change

Project Abstract:
Climate change is expected to affect our forests in many different ways. It will influence natural disturbance agents (fire, insects, disease, wind, flooding, etc), species distributions, early stand development, growth rates as well as the forests ability to store carbon (Inter-governmental Agency on Climate Change). It is critical that practicing natural resource professionals have an understanding of the basics of forest dynamics so that they can assess the vulnerability of their forests and adapt their management strategies to address these changes successfully. They will also be looking for new information on the scale and magnitude of these potential future changes and on the silvicultural tools (including monitoring) available to help manage these changes over time. In collaboration with the Future Forest Ecosystems Initiative and the Climate Change Action Team, this project responds to the information needs of forestry professionals by increasing their knowledge and skills related to planning, implementing and monitoring for these changes in forest dynamics as well as the affect climate change will have on growth rates and productivity. This need has been identified as both a both a knowledge gap as well as an information gap by many client need surveys (Morford et al 2006, the Provincial Forest Extension Program—Forest Resource Dynamics Technical Working Group, as well as research advisory groups such as the FIA Forest Science Program Forest and Value and Sustainability Program Advisory Committees). Planning and adapting for change is also one of the key elements of the Chief Forester’s Future Forest Ecosystem Initiative and work is also being undertaken by the Ministry of Forests Climate Change initiative. By working collaboratively with this initiative and its associated partners the Provincial Forest Extension Provider can work to improve timely access to expertise in forest dynamics, forest vulnerability, ecological monitoring as well as increasing the benefits from planning and monitoring innovations to address the ecological changes that are taking place at the various temporal and spatial scales.

For further information on this project, please contact Kathie.Swift@forrex.org.