Watch a recording of the Watershed Group presentation from November 24th, 2020:

David L. Peterson (Emeritus Senior Scientist, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station and Professor, University of Washington, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences) & Jessica Halofksy (Director of Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center and National Wildfire Coordinating Group, U.S. Forest Service) present on:

Climate Change and Forest Ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest

A warmer climate has major implications for forest ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. In this presentation, David and Jessica discuss the effects of climate change on (1) tree growth and productivity, (2) species distribution and abundance, and (3) disturbances such as wildfire and insect outbreaks. They also summarize highlights of a new assessment of the effects of climate change in Mt. Hood National Forest, and options for improving the resilience of ecosystems to climatic variability and change (read more about this effort here). Also, check out the fascinating story map based on David and Jessica’s recent paper: Changing Wildfire, Changing Forests: A Synthesis on the Effects of Climate Change on Fire Regimes and Vegetation in the Pacific Northwest.