Adaptation in Action: Projects for Forests & Water
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Transcript of Adaptation in Action: Projects for Forests & Water
Adaptation in Action:Projects for Forests & Water
Maria JanowiakApril 4, 2017
Water InitiativeNortheast Workshop
Develop local examplesof adaptation
www.forestadaptation.org/demos
200+Projects
underway
Atlas Timberlands (VT)
www.forestadaptation.org/atlas
Sustainable forestry
Conservation
Vermont Land Trust & The Nature Conservancy About 25k acres of forestAcquired from industrial
ownership Working forest to
demonstrate sustainable forestry practices
www.forestadaptation.org/carolinelake
Atlas Timberlands
Atlas Timberlands
Altered precipitation
Extreme rain
Shorter, milder winters
Decline of northern tree species
Challenge: Shorter and more variable winters
Summer harvest = Opportunity?
Atlas Timberlands
Already doing and even more important for adaptation:• Follow BMPs for water quality• Increase coarse woody material• Increase tree species diversity• Increase forest structural
diversity• Ensure adequate seedling
regeneration• Control invasives• Minimize roads & trails
Atlas Timberlands
• Road layout• Pre-sale road work• Temporary bridge installation
Adaptation Tactic: Summer harvest
Atlas Timberlands
Did it work?Atlas Timberlands
“The area operated was considerably different in the winter vs summer, but … it’s safe to say our infrastructure costs per unit sold were considerably higher in the summer than winter. There was also far more down time because we had a great winter for operating and problematic rains in the summer.”
Time and effort
• Public utility developed and operated by City of Providence
• Current system established c. 1920• Now provides water to 600,000
people or 2/3 of all Rhode Islanders
• Main Scituate Reservoir and several smaller tributary reservoirs
• 93 square mile watershed, mostly private land
• Water Resources Division manages 13,000 acres of City-owned forest surrounding reservoir system
Providence Water (RI)
Graphics/text courtesy Christopher Riely, Providence Water
www.forestadaptation.org/providencewater
Overarching goal is to maintain a forest that is adaptive to change and resilient to disturbances that could impact water quality
Providence Water
Providence Water
Regeneration
Forest health
Invasive plants
Extreme storms
• Poor upland oak growing site with some young pine
• Land acquired recently; not historic ownership
• Death of remaining trees and regeneration failure following shelterwood timber harvest
• Drought, defoliation, deer• “Nightmare” of what a significant
acreage could come to resemble following a severe windstorm
• What to do with this site?
Many challenges from climate change & other stressors
Opportunity to experiment with “transition” strategy
Providence Water
Conifers (250 each)• Eastern red cedar (native)• Loblolly pine (new)• Pitch pine (native)• Shortleaf pine (new)
Hardwoods (100 each)• Black locust (non-native)• Black oak (native)• Persimmon (new)• Pin oak (native)• Sassafras (native)• Sweetgum (new)• White oak (native)
Providence Water2015 Planting – Two sites (inside/outside deer exclosure)
• 38 acre upland oak stand thinned in 2014-15
• Anticipated natural regeneration challenges
• Students planted “climate adaptation mix” in 2016
• Part of larger grant funded by Arbor Day Foundation TD Green Streets Program
• Possible future seeding
Providence Water2016 Enrichment Planting at Similar Site
Conifers (75 each)• Shortleaf pine (new)• Virginia pine (new)
Hardwoods (25 each)• Black locust (non-native)• Black oak (native)• Chestnut oak (native)• Persimmon (new)• Sweetgum (new)• White oak (native)
Providence Water
• Irregular species distribution by planting crew
• Significant mortality resulting from drought immediately following planting
• Survivors are doing OK• Monitoring height growth of 10
individuals of each species in both areas
• Annual height measurements planned for at least 5 years
• Results indicate deer browse is having a significant impact
Providence WaterMonitoring effectiveness
Providence Water
COMING SOON! www.climatehubs.oce.usda.gov/northeast/360Secret preview link – click here
Virtual demonstration site from USDA Northeast Climate Hub
Questions?