The State of Conservation in North America’s Boreal Forest: Issues and Opportunities

Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 3

Published: July 30, 2020

The North American Boreal Forest biome has been recognized as containing some of the highest proportions intact, primary forest left on Earth. Over 6 million km² is found in Canada (5.5 km²) and U.S. (0.74 across 10 provinces territories one state (Alaska). All it within traditional hundreds Indigenous governments, many whom are now asserting their rights to make decisions about its future current land-use including for conservation development. considered be 80% intact between 8% 13% formally protected. biome's intactness allowed retain globally significant features long-distance mammal fish migrations, healthy populations large predators, three billion nesting birds, world's largest lakes America's longest undammed rivers, massive stores carbon ecological functionality. forests, minerals, hydropower potential also economic opportunities so that industrial footprint rapidly increasing, sometimes without careful planning decisions. Indigenous, federal, state, provincial territorial governments organizations have strived over recent decades recognize opportunity inherent such a still-intact landscape, resulting implementation land set-asides. particular, at forefront developing implementing world-leading, modern plans achieve scales. Supporting efforts ensure high proportion protected remains habitat with unimpeded ecosystem processes should priority global community. Federal, provincial/territorial support area proposals, vastly increase financial government stewardship activities, develop new co-management models governments. Governments strongly advocating raising Convention Biological Diversity goal least 30% by 2030.

Language: Английский

---

Multi‐model projections of tree species performance in Quebec, Canada under future climate change

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 28(5), P. 1884 - 1902

Published: Dec. 2, 2021

Many modelling approaches have been developed to project climate change impacts on forests. By analysing 'comparable' yet distinct variables (e.g. productivity, growth, dominance, biomass, etc.) through different structures, parameterizations and assumptions, models can yield outcomes rather similar initial questions. This variability lead some confusion for forest managers when developing strategies adapt management change. In this study, we standardized results from seven (Habitat suitability, trGam, StandLEAP, Quebec Landscape Dynamics, PICUS, LANDIS-II LPJ-LMfire) provide a simple comprehensive assessment of the uncertainty consensus in future performance (decline, status quo, improvement) six tree species under two radiative forcing scenarios (RCP 4.5 RCP 8.5). Despite large diversity model types, found high level agreement (73.1%) projected species' across species, regions, time periods. Low agreements resulted small dissensions among models. Model was much higher cold-tolerant (up 99.9%), especially southernmost regions 8.5, indicating that these are sensitive increased southern part their distribution range. Lower thermophilous (sugar maple, yellow birch) boreal 8.5 mostly as result way handling natural disturbances wildfires) lags response populations (forest inertia or migration capability) Agreement slightly anthropogenic forcing, suggesting important thresholds species-specific might be crossed if reach values those 8.5. We expect strong despite predictors structure should inspire development better adapted

Language: Английский

---

Summary and synthesis of Changing Cold Regions Network (CCRN) research in the interior of western Canada – Part 2: Future change in cryosphere, vegetation, and hydrology

Hydrology and earth system sciences, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 25(4), P. 1849 - 1882

Published: April 9, 2021

Abstract. The interior of western Canada, like many similar cold mid- to high-latitude regions worldwide, is undergoing extensive and rapid climate environmental change, which may accelerate in the coming decades. Understanding predicting changes coupled climate–land–hydrological systems are crucial society yet limited by lack understanding cold-region process responses interactions, along with their representation most current-generation land-surface hydrological models. It essential consider underlying processes base predictive models on proper physics, especially under conditions non-stationarity where past no longer a reliable guide future system trajectories can be unexpected. These challenges were forefront recently completed Changing Cold Regions Network (CCRN), assembled focused wide range multi-disciplinary expertise improve understanding, diagnosis, prediction change over Canada. CCRN advanced knowledge fundamental ecological through observation experimentation across network highly instrumented research basins other sites. Significant efforts made functionality representation, based this improved within fine-scale Hydrological Modelling (CRHM) platform large-scale Modélisation Environmentale Communautaire (MEC) – Surface Hydrology (MESH) model. were, continue be, applied projected climates current expected land vegetation cover configurations diagnose historical predict possible responses. This second two articles synthesizes nature Earth climate, as CCRN. include changing precipitation moisture feedbacks atmosphere; altered snow regimes, balance snowfall rainfall, glacier loss; loss ecosystem resilience wildfire disturbance; thawing permafrost its influence landscapes hydrology; groundwater storage cycling connections surface water; stream river discharge influenced various drivers change. Collective insights, expert elicitation, model application used provide synthesis region for late 21st century.

Language: Английский

---

Potential effects of climate change on future distribution of an endangered tree species, Acer mazandaranicum, in the Hyrcanian forest

Forest Ecology and Management, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 555, P. 121654 - 121654

Published: Jan. 27, 2024

Language: Английский

---

Managing climate-change refugia to prevent extinctions

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 39(9), P. 800 - 808

Published: Sept. 1, 2024

HighlightsClimate-change refugia can support biodiversity by maintaining buffered conditions despite climate change and are a critical tool for the unfolding extinction crisis.Despite their capacity to protect biodiversity, climate-change will be increasingly vulnerable impacts of multiple interacting stressors may hence require management.Effective protection under facilitated managing or newly establishing on basis factors processes that create them.Using four clear steps, appropriate actions maintain refugia, ranging from minimal management more extensive restoration efforts, determined.Identifying reduce extinctions contribute landscapes holistically managed conservation change.AbstractEarth is facing simultaneous crises. Climate-change – areas relatively help address both these problems components when surrounding landscape no longer can. However, this often severe other stressors. Thus, need consider complex multidimensional nature refugia. We outline an approach understand refugia-promoting evaluate refugial determine suitable actions. Our framework applies as tools facilitate resistance in modern planning. Such refugia-focused change.

Language: Английский

---