Science Source

Forest ecosystems, disturbance, and climatic change in Washington State, USA

States that climatic change is likely to affect Pacific Northwest (PNW) forests in several important ways
Addresses the role of climate in four forest ecosystem processes and project the effects of future climatic change on these processes across Washington State
Relates Douglas-fir growth to climatic limitation and suggest that where Douglas-fir is currently water-limited, growth is likely to decline due to increased summer water deficit
Uses existing analyses of climatic controls on tree species biogeography to demonstrate that by the mid twenty-first century, climate will be less suitable for key species in some areas of Washington
Examines the relationships between climate and the area burned by fire and project climatically driven regional and sub-regional increases in area burned
Suggests that climatic change influences mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreaks by increasing host-tree vulnerability and by shifting the region of climate suitability upward in elevation
States that the increased rates of disturbance by fire and mountain pine beetle are likely to be more significant agents of changes in forests in the twenty-first century than species turnover or declines in productivity, suggesting that understanding future disturbance regimes is critical for successful adaptation to climate change