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Climate Change and its Impact on Forest Ecosystems
An overview of how warming, shifting rainfall and extreme events are changing forests, from tree growth and timing to pests, fire, soils and species.
How Forests Work
Climate and Forests
How a changing climate affects forest life, water and soil.
Spring Leaf-Out and Climate Warming
Warmer springs often bring earlier leafing and flowering. Learn how this timing shift can ripple through caterpillars, birds, pollinators and forest food webs.
The Effects of Climate Change on Forest Biodiversity
How shifting temperature, water and disturbance change which plants, animals and fungi a forest can support, and why a green forest can still lose species.
The Effects of Climate Change on Forest Tree Species Distribution
Why tree ranges are expected to shift uphill and toward the poles, how slow seed dispersal limits the pace, and what that means for forest composition.
The Effects of Drought on Forest Ecosystems
How drought stresses trees, why prolonged dry spells can cause die-off, and how weakened forests become more vulnerable to insect outbreaks and fire.
The Impact of Climate Change on Forest Soil Health
How warming, wetter and drier conditions change soil life, nutrient supply and structure under trees, and why forest soils are slow to recover once disturbed.
The Role of Forests in Supporting Climate Change Adaptation
How intact forests can buffer people and landscapes against heat, floods and storms, and why this protection has limits and depends on forest condition.
Windthrow and Storm Damage in Forests
How strong winds topple or snap trees, why some stands are more exposed than others, and the role of soil, tree shape, edges and past management.
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