Carbon dynamics and climate-growth relationships in Maine’s Acadian Forest ecosystem

Forests and forest products are critical part of Maine’s economy. Maintaining productive forests in the face of climate change and uncertain future conditions requires an understanding of how forests have responded to past disturbances and stresses, including climate extremes. Establishing the link between past stresses and forest productivity is key to devising management strategies that enhance forest adaptive capacity (resistance and resilience to change). In addition, as forest managers are being urged to consider carbon storage along with more traditional forest management goals, further information is needed regarding carbon stores and fluxes, including the drivers of year-to-year variability in flux rates. The proposed project intends to identify forest-management strategies that would confer resistance and resilience to future climate-induced stresses, as well as provide information needed to manage forests for carbon considerations. It is hoped that information gained from these endeavors will improve the sustained health and productivity of forests of Maine and the surrounding region.

Investigator: Fraver, S.

Unit: School of Forest Resources

Termination Date: 30-Sep-20