Climate change is here. In southern forests, it takes the form of novel disturbances – different frequency and severity of drought, fire, wind storms, insect outbreaks, even ice storms – or a combination of these stressors.

“How will managers respond to the threats posed by changing climate conditions?” asks USDA Forest Service scientist James Guldin. “The answer is, by managing one stand at a time, so that over time, forests will be resistant or resilient in the face of damaging events.”

Guldin recently published an article about forest management and climate change in New Forests. He argues that we need silvicultural practices focused on resilience and restoration.

“Diversity is the key to adaptive forest management,” adds Guldin. “Diversity of genetics within a species, diversity of species composition in the forest, and diversity in the way forests are distributed across the landscape.” [Read more…]