Partnerships to Take on Climate Change: Adaptation Forestry and Conifer Strongholds Projects in the Northwoods, Minnesota, USA

Abstract

Northeastern Minnesota forests are vulnerable to declines in boreal tree species at their southern range limits. Temperate tree species may have a competitive advantage in this region as the climate warms. Enhancing the adaptive capacity of northern forests requires a multifaceted approach, one that involves cooperative relations given the region’s complex ownership patterns. In this context, a nongovernment conservation organization and public land-management agencies are partnering to test climate-informed forest management approaches, including: (1) Resilience, targeting northern conifer planting at “climate-resilient sites” with suitable microclimates to sustain boreal species over time; (2) Transition, catalyzing the shift to a temperate forest matrix using within-range plantings of native, climate-adapted tree species. Deployed together, Resilience and Transition strategies can help the Northwoods shift towards future forest conditions. Results from this work will help land managers make informed decisions about forest management and enhance landscape resilience in a changing climate.

climate change, adaptative management, forest restoration, Minnesota