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Climate Change Impacts on Forestry
August 16, 2007
Changing temperature and precipitation patterns and increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 are likely to drive significant changes in natural and modified forests. This article provides a scientific assessment of the impacts of climate change on forests worldwide giving significant attention to forests in the U. S. This review is focused on publications that discuss the changes in commercial forestry, excluding the ecosystem functions of forests and non-timber forest products. The report concentrates on potential direct and indirect impacts of climate change on the forest industry, including economic impacts, the projections of future trends in commercial forestry, the possible role of biofuels, and changes in supply and demand.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Andrei P. Kirilenko, Roger A. Sedjo
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Climate and Land Use Change Effects on Ecological Resources in Three Watersheds: A Synthesis Report
August 2007
The effects of global change drivers differ by place and in scale, necessitating place-specific impacts information to enable stakeholders to respond appropriately. Place and scale also determine appropriate adaptation strategies and expected outcomes. Three watershed case study assessments were conducted to advance the capability of managers to consider climate and land use change in watershed management decisions. The case studies were of the San Pedro River Watershed, the Sacramento River Watershed, and several small watersheds in Maryland (see Related Links).
Authors or Affiliated Users: Susan H. Julius, Britta G. Bierwagen, Thomas E. Johnson, Randall Freed, Susan Asam, Sandra Shapiro
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Unnatural Disaster: Global Warming and Our National Parks
July 11, 2007
The National Parks Conservation Association, (NPCA) report, "Unnatural Disaster," demonstrates the impacts of climate change by highlighting anticipated effects U.S. national parks. It offers recommended actions for federal, state, and local governments, along with individuals, to slow or stop the damage from climate change on national parks.
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A Discussion of the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the Shorelines of the Northeastern USA
July 10, 2007
This report, prepared for the 2007 Northeast Climate Impact Assessment (see separate entry), provides a broad overview of how sea-level rise will impact the coast of the northeastern United States. Different possible rates of sea-level rise and the primary impact of shoreline retreat is discussed. The report explains how local features determine the extent of shoreline retreat in a given area and addresses how sea-level rise could affect different ecosystems, including estuaries, salt marshes, and barrier island systems.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Andrew D. Ashton, Jeffrey P. Donnelly, Rob L. Evans
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FEMA Threat and Hazard Identification Risk Assessment (THIRA)
The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) is a 4 step common risk assessment process that supports a community in understanding its natural hazard risks, and estimating capability requirements. The THIRA process helps communities map their risks to the core capabilities, enabling them to determine desired outcomes, capability targets, and the resources required to achieve their capability targets.
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Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast: Science, Impacts, and Solutions
July 2007
This report describes the changing climate for the U. S. Northeast region and associated climate change impacts. Both high and low emission scenarios were analyzed to assess the impacts of two very different future climates on the region's coastal areas, marine fisheries, forests, agriculture, winter recreation, and human health sectors. Mitigation and adaptation policy options relevant to Northeast are presented, and the report includes a discussion on how to prioritize adaptation strategies.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Peter C. Frumhoff, James J. McCarthy, Jerry M. Melillo, Susanne C. Moser, Donald J. Wuebbles
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Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Habitats in the Pacific Northwest: An Analysis for Puget Sound, Southwestern Washington, and Northwestern Oregon
July 2007
This report, by the National Wildlife Federation, documents results from a study on the projected impacts of sea-level rise to key coastal habitats in the Pacific Northwest. The study modeled sea-level rise up to 2 meters, based on input from prior studies, and examined its effects including the inundation of estuarine beaches, loss of tidal flats and marshes, and the inundation of inland swamps. The report also provides a brief description of how these effects will impact wildlife. Finally, the report makes one broad recommendation for planners to account for sea-level rise in their habitat restoration projects.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Patty Glick, Jonathan Clough, Brad Nunley
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Impacts of Global Warming on North Carolina's Coastal Economy
June 21, 2007
A scientific study was undertaken by researchers at four North Carolina universities to consider three aspects of the state's coastal economy and their vulnerability to a changing climate including: the impacts of sea-level rise on the coastal real estate market, the impacts of sea-level rise on coastal recreation and tourism, and the impacts of stronger tropical storms and hurricanes on business activity. The study used a range of moderate assumptions, not best- or worst-case scenarios. This brief summary brochure is designed to present the main findings of the study for the benefit of the public and policy makers.
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Estimating Future Costs for Alaska Public Infrastructure at Risk from Climate Change
June 2007
The Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) at the University of Alaska Anchorage created a model to estimate how much climate change could add to the costs of maintaining public infrastructure in Alaska in the near future (by 2030). This report describes how that model was developed, and presents preliminary estimates of additional public infrastructure costs resulting from climate change. The report concludes that a changing climate could make it 10 to 20 percent more expensive to build and maintain infrastructure, and that climate change induced damages could add $3.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Peter Larsen, Scott Goldsmith, Orson Smith, Meghan Wilson, Ken Strzepek, Paul Chinowsky, Ben Saylor
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National Security and the Threat of Climate Change
April 1, 2007
This strategic assessment report articulates the concept of climate change acting as a "threat multiplier" for instability in some of the most volatile regions of the world, and identifies key challenges that must be planned for now if they are to be met effectively in the future. The specific questions addressed in this report are: 1) What conditions are climate changes likely to produce around the world that would represent security risks to the United States. 2) What are the ways in which these conditions may affect America's national security interests.
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