Reduce competition for moisture, nutrients, and light

Competition for resources between plants is a primary mechanism in plant succession and evolution (Weiner 1990). Plants compete aboveground for light and belowground for water and nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus (Casper and Jackson 1997). A changing climate is expected to alter competitive relationships in forest ecosystems as growing seasons become longer, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels increase, precipitation patterns change, and temperatures increase. Reducing competition for limiting resources for desired tree species, particularly for seedlings and saplings, will increase the ability of forest systems to cope with the direct effects (moisture stress, increased temperatures) and indirect stress (increased pressure from pests and pathogens) of climate change (Evans and Perschel 2009). Reducing competition by alleviating climatic and biological stressors for desired species at early stages of recovery from disturbance can accelerate structural development in forest ecosystems (Dwyer et al. 2010) and increase carbon sequestration both during and following drought (Bottero et al. 2017).

Many forestry practices work directly and indirectly to maintain the integrity of ecosystems in the face of climate change in order to sustain the functions those systems provide. These land management practices seek to preserve or improve soil nutrient cycling, hydrologic functioning, and vegetation characteristics, and wildlife and insect populations that support productive and healthy forests that store and continue to sequester carbon. This adaptation strategy seeks to sustain or enhance ecological functions to reduce the impacts of a changing climate on forest carbon stocks.