Approach
EASTERN:
Maintaining both soil quality and nutrient cycling are already common tenets of sustainable forest management (Burger et al. 2010, Oliver and Larson 1996) and can help improve the capacity of ecosystems to persist under new conditions. Physical and chemical changes can result from a variety of forest management and recreation activities, as well as from climate-related processes including fire, drought, and flooding. Examples of physical impacts to soil are compaction, mixing of soil layers, removal of organic layers, rutting, erosion, and landslides. Complex interactions among climate, vegetation, and landforms can result in changes in nutrient cycling, including the leaching or fixation of nutrients and changes in soil biota. Many existing guidelines and best management practices describe actions that can be used to reduce impacts to soil and water; many of these actions are also likely to be beneficial in the context of adaptation, either in their current form or with modifications to address potential climate change impacts (1).
WESTERN:
Maintaining both soil quality and nutrient cycling are already common tenets of sustainable forest management (Oliver and Larson 1996, Burger et al. 2010) and can help improve the capacity of ecosystems to persist under new conditions. Physical and chemical changes can result from a variety of forest management and recreation activities, as well as from climate-related processes including fire, drought, and flooding (Johnstone et al. 2016, Schlesinger et al. 2016, Bradford et al. 2019). Examples of potentially damaging physical impacts to soil are compaction, mixing of soil layers, removal of organic layers, rutting, erosion, and land and mudslides; the latter can be especially damaging when heavy rains occur after a high severity fire (Cannon et al. 2008, Abney et al. 2017, Mayer et al. 2020). Complex interactions among climate, vegetation, and landforms can result in changes in nutrient cycling, including the leaching or fixation of nutrients and changes in soil biota (Mayer et al. 2020). Many existing guidelines and best management practices describe actions that can be used to reduce impacts to soil and water; many of these actions are also likely to be beneficial in the context of adaptation, either in their current form or with modifications to address potential climate change impacts (2).
Maintaining both soil quality and nutrient cycling are already common tenets of sustainable forest management (Burger et al. 2010, Oliver and Larson 1996) and can help improve the capacity of ecosystems to persist under new conditions. Physical and chemical changes can result from a variety of forest management and recreation activities, as well as from climate-related processes including fire, drought, and flooding. Examples of physical impacts to soil are compaction, mixing of soil layers, removal of organic layers, rutting, erosion, and landslides. Complex interactions among climate, vegetation, and landforms can result in changes in nutrient cycling, including the leaching or fixation of nutrients and changes in soil biota. Many existing guidelines and best management practices describe actions that can be used to reduce impacts to soil and water; many of these actions are also likely to be beneficial in the context of adaptation, either in their current form or with modifications to address potential climate change impacts (1).
WESTERN:
Maintaining both soil quality and nutrient cycling are already common tenets of sustainable forest management (Oliver and Larson 1996, Burger et al. 2010) and can help improve the capacity of ecosystems to persist under new conditions. Physical and chemical changes can result from a variety of forest management and recreation activities, as well as from climate-related processes including fire, drought, and flooding (Johnstone et al. 2016, Schlesinger et al. 2016, Bradford et al. 2019). Examples of potentially damaging physical impacts to soil are compaction, mixing of soil layers, removal of organic layers, rutting, erosion, and land and mudslides; the latter can be especially damaging when heavy rains occur after a high severity fire (Cannon et al. 2008, Abney et al. 2017, Mayer et al. 2020). Complex interactions among climate, vegetation, and landforms can result in changes in nutrient cycling, including the leaching or fixation of nutrients and changes in soil biota (Mayer et al. 2020). Many existing guidelines and best management practices describe actions that can be used to reduce impacts to soil and water; many of these actions are also likely to be beneficial in the context of adaptation, either in their current form or with modifications to address potential climate change impacts (2).
Tactics
- Altering the timing of forest operations to reduce potential impacts on water, soils, and residual trees, especially in areas that rely on particular conditions for operations that may be affected by a changing climate (e.g., frozen soil)
- Modifying forest operations techniques and equipment (e.g., using pallets, debris mats, or float bridges) to minimize soil compaction, rutting, or other impacts on water, soils, and residual trees
- Retaining ecologically appropriate levels and distribution of coarse woody debris and fine soil organic matter to maintain soil moisture, quality, biota, and nutrient cycling.
- Restricting recreational access in areas that show signs of excessive wear on natural resources in order to allow for revegetation or soil stabilization.
- Using soil amendments to restore or improve soil quality (e.g.,using lime to increase base cations in the soil profile in areas affected by long-term acid deposition).
- Restoring native herbaceous groundcover following management activities in order to retain soil moisture and reduce erosion.
- Promote and maintain native shrub cover (at appropriate patch sizes) to maintain soil quality and nutrient cycling.
Strategy Text
Climate change will have substantial effects on a suite of ecosystem functions, such as carbon storage, nutrient cycling, wildlife habitat, hydroelectric generation and water provisioning. As a result, many management actions will need to work both directly and indirectly to maintain the integrity of ecosystems in the face of climate change. This strategy seeks to sustain fundamental ecological functions, especially
those related to soil and hydrologic conditions (2).
those related to soil and hydrologic conditions (2).
Citation
1. Swanston, C.W.; Janowiak, M.K.; Brandt, L.A.; Butler, P.R.; Handler, S.D.; Shannon, P.D.; Derby Lewis, A.; Hall, K.; Fahey, R.T.; Scott, L.; Kerber, A.; Miesbauer, J.W.; Darling, L.; 2016. Forest Adaptation Resources: climate change tools and approaches for land managers, 2nd ed. US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 161 p. http://dx.doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-87-2
2. Swanston, C.W.; Brandt, L.A.; Butler-Leopold, P.R.; Hall, K.R.; Handler, S.D.; Janowiak, M.K.; Merriam, K.; Meyer,
M.; Molinari, N.; Schmitt, K.M.; Shannon, P.D.; Smith, J.B.; Wuenschel, A.; Ostoja, S.M 2020. Adaptation Strategies
and Approaches for California Forest Ecosystems. USDA California Climate Hub Technical Report CACH-2020-1.
Davis, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Climate Hubs. 65 p.
M.; Molinari, N.; Schmitt, K.M.; Shannon, P.D.; Smith, J.B.; Wuenschel, A.; Ostoja, S.M 2020. Adaptation Strategies
and Approaches for California Forest Ecosystems. USDA California Climate Hub Technical Report CACH-2020-1.
Davis, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Climate Hubs. 65 p.