Dr. Linda Nagel

Managing for the Future through Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change

The Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) Network is a collaborative effort that has established a series of long-term experimental silvicultural trials in different forest ecosystem types throughout the United States and Canada. Scientists, land managers, and a variety of partners have co-developed seven core and two affiliate experimental sites as part of this international study to research long-term ecosystem response to a range of climate change adaptation approaches. The big question ASCC is poised to answer is: What actions can be taken to enhance the ability of a system to cope with change while continuing to meet management goals and objectives? Treatments approximate three climate-adaptive management approaches: (1) resistance – maintaining relatively unchanged conditions over time; (2) resilience – allowing some change in current conditions, but encouraging an eventual return to reference conditions; and (3) transition – actively facilitating change to encourage adaptive responses. Specific site-level treatments are designed with local ecosystem vulnerability and management contexts in mind, and specifically address disturbance regimes in the context of climate change. This talk will present an overview of the ASCC Network key climate change challenges and opportunities across the sites, and directions forward for this innovative manager-scientist Network.

Dr. Linda Nagel is Professor of Silviculture and Department Head of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship at Colorado State University. She was previously on the faculty at the University of Minnesota and Michigan Tech where she directed and taught local and national modules as part of the US Forest Service National Advanced Silviculture Program for 15 years, including a local silviculture module. She currently serves as the national lead for the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change Network.