Assessing Assisted Migration As A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy For Ontarios Forests

Assisted migration of tree species populations, or seed sources, is one of few adaptive strategies available to mitigate the projected effects of climate change on the structure, productivity, and distribution of forest ecosystems. In this report, the authors present the goals and objectives of a study intiated in 2008 to assess the potential of assisted migration as an adaptation strategy to manage for climate change in Ontario. In support of this study, they conducted a literature search on assisted migration and genetic variation in climatic response of forest tree species, through which were identified several hundred related scientific and technical publications. Citations and keywords for publications of greatest significance to using assisted migration as a climate change adaptation strategy are presented in the accompanying bibliography.--Document.

Assisted migration of tree species populations, or seed sources, is one of few adaptive strategies available to mitigate the projected effects of climate change on the structure, productivity, and distribution of forest ecosystems. In this report, the authors present the goals and objectives of a study intiated in 2008 to assess the potential of assisted migration as an adaptation strategy to manage for climate change in Ontario. In support of this study, they conducted a literature search on assisted migration and genetic variation in climatic response of forest tree species, through which were identified several hundred related scientific and technical publications. Citations and keywords for publications of greatest significance to using assisted migration as a climate change adaptation strategy are presented in the accompanying bibliography.--Document.

Climate change is expected to result in trees in most regions of British Columbia becoming increasingly maladapted to the climates in which they are planted. Consequently, planting seedlings adapted to future climates (assisted migration) is recognized as a key strategy to address climate change, as it will help maintain healthy, productive forests, and ensure capture of gains obtained from decades of selective breeding. To examine opportunities to incorporate assisted migration into British Columbia's seed transfer system, the feasibility of increasing the upper elevational transfer limit of British Columbia's Class A and Class B seed was assessed by calculating the climatic transfer distance associated with elevational transfers. A rationale was developed for quantifying an appropriate climatic distance and range to migrate seed, and was used to evaluate elevational transfer increases of 100 and 200 m. Results indicate that of the 30 Class A Seed Planning Units (SPUs) examined, eight should retain their current upper elevation limits, one should have its upper elevation limit increased by 100 m, and the remainder should have their upper elevation limits increased by 200 m. Upper elevation transfer limits of Class B seed should be increased by 200 m for eight species, by 100 m for two species, and should remain unchanged for three species. Specific recommendations are provided in Tables 2 and 3. Deployment of orchard seed in the lowest 200 m of the western white pine-Maritime and interior spruce-East Kootenay SPUs is discouraged, as is transfer of Class B seed of amabilis fir and western hemlock more than 200 m downward and western redcedar more than 300 m downward.

Maintaining sustainable forest management practices in Canada during the 21st century and beyond will be a major challenge, given the uncertainties of global socioeconomic development and multiple interacting consequences of global environmental change. Scenarios represent an important tool for decision makers to use in exploring the causes and effects of possible changes in future environmental conditions and the implications of those changes for forests and the social, environmental, and economic benefits that forests provide. Scenario analysis allows managers and other stakeholders to evaluate the consequences of plausible alternative futures for forest management and to develop robust adaptation strategies. This report addresses the origins of the scenarios that will be needed to assess the impacts of climate change and other stressors on managed forest systems. It examines how scenarios can be constructed for application at local scales (such as a forest management unit), using both top-down (downscaling from global and regional projections) and bottom-up (accounting for local trends and projections) approaches. Practical examples of using scenarios for impact assessment in forestry are briefly reviewed in four case studies from across Canada.--Document.

The critical role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation is now widely recognized. Forests contribute significantly to climate change mitigation through their carbon sink and carbon storage functions. They play an essential role in reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing adaptation of people and ecosystems to climate change and climate variability, the negative impacts of which are becoming increasingly evident in many parts of the world. In many countries climate change issues have not been fully addressed in national forest policies, forestry mitigation and adaptation needs at national level have not been thoroughly considered in national climate change strategies, and cross-sectoral dimensions of climate change impacts and response measures have not been fully appreciated. This publication seeks to provide a practical approach to the process of integrating climate change into national forest programmes. The aim is to assist senior officials in government administrations and the representatives of other stakeholders, including civil society organizations and the private sector, prepare the forest sector for the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change. This document complements a set of guidelines prepared by FAO in 2013 to support forest managers incorporate climate change considerations into forest management plans and practices.

Forest land managers face the challenges of preparing their forests for the impacts of climate change. However, climate change adds a new dimension to the task of developing and testing science-based management options to deal with the effects of stressors on forest ecosystems in the southern United States. The large spatial scale and complex interactions make traditional experimental approaches difficult. Yet, the current progression of climate change science offers new insights from recent syntheses, models, and experiments, providing enough information to start planning now for a future that will likely include an increase in disturbances and rapid changes in forest conditions. Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Management Options: A Guide for Natural Resource Managers in Southern Forest Ecosystems provides a comprehensive analysis of forest management options to guide natural resource management in the face of future climate change. Topics include potential climate change impacts on wildfire, insects, diseases, and invasives, and how these in turn might affect the values of southern forests that include timber, fiber, and carbon; water quality and quantity; species and habitats; and recreation. The book also considers southern forest carbon sequestration, vulnerability to biological threats, and migration of native tree populations due to climate change. This book utilizes the most relevant science and brings together science experts and land managers from various disciplines and regions throughout the south to combine science, models, and on-the-ground experience to develop management options. Providing a link between current management actions and future management options that would anticipate a changing climate, the authors hope to ensure a broader range of options for managing southern forests and protecting their values in the future.

This is the report of a workshop held to provide a forum for the exchange of information on both the expected impacts of climate change on Canada's western & northern forests, and potential adaptive strategies. Topics covered in presentations & poster sessions included climate change science and the implications of climate change for environmental, social, & economic values of the forest. Facilitated interactive sessions focussed on knowledge gaps, policy, and institutional barriers to adaptation, followed by suggestions for moving the climate change impacts & adaptation agenda forward in the forest sector.

"This guide introduces the concepts of climate change adaptation, vulnerability, and risk. It also describes vulnerability and risk assessment tools and techniques, and a framework that can be used to support adaptive management in a rapidly changing climate. Ultimately, the guide seeks to assist natural resource managers to identify ways that climate change vulnerabilities and risks can be integrated into decision-making processes that include adaptation action plans, strategies, and policies."--Document.