Interagency Clearinghouse of Ecological Information

Climate Change and Forest Biodiversity: A Vulnerability Assessment and Action Plan for National Forests in Western Washington

We are very pleased to announce the release of this report:

Climate Change and Forest Biodiversity:
A Vulnerability Assessment and Action Plan for National Forests in Western Washington

Prepared by Carol Aubry, Warren Devine, Robin Shoal, Andy Bower, Jeanne Miller, and Nicole Maggiulli

April 2011

The goals of this analysis were to conduct a climate change vulnerability assessment of forest tree species, assess the vulnerability of non-forested habitats to climate change, and propose practical management actions that will work under a variety of future climate scenarios and can be implemented by the national forests in western Washington in cooperation with other land managers.
The focus of this effort is:

  • Forest tree species, both widespread and rare
  • Non-forested habitats vulnerable to climate change: alpine and subalpine habitats, native dry grasslands, and wetlands

Topics include:

  • Distribution maps and a synopsis of ecological and genetic information on 34 forest tree species
  • Comparison of vulnerability assessment methods
  • Forest tree species vulnerability assessment
  • Non-forested habitats assessment
  • The role of species distribution models in vulnerability assessments
  • Vegetation management options including assisted migration
  • Monitoring climate effects on trees
  • Gene conservation
  • Recommendations and action items for each national forest

This report is available at the Ecoshare website, here.

To order a CD or paper copy of the full report, the executive summary, or both, please download and send the attached request form to Carol Aubry, [email protected].

Request Form

A vulnerability assessment of forest tree species and non-forest habitats is underway for national forests across the Pacific Northwest and we would be very interested in any comments or suggestions you would like to share. A summary report will be completed in 2012.

Author Ref. No. Date
Aubry, DeVine, Shoal, Bower, Miller, Maggiulli 2011 Download