Co-Principal Investigator(s):

Maria Janowiak, USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station; Todd Ontl, USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, MI; Caitlin Littlefield, Conservation Science Partners, VT

Abstract: Climate change and increasing prevalence of non-native invasive insects and diseases are some of the most significant challenges facing forest managers in sustaining ecosystems across the Northern Forest region. This project will increase the application of adaptation strategies to enhance forest resilience to climate change and invasive pest and disease impacts, while also sustaining critical ecosystem services, including wildlife habitat, carbon storage, and local forest-based economies.

NSRC researchers will evaluate outcomes and effectiveness of already implemented adaptation strategies and partner with resource managers to produce site-tailored recommendations on best practices for anticipated impacts of climate change and invasive species. This project uses a network of adaptation experiments and demonstrations in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont on more than 30 sites to better understand the ability of forest adaptation strategies to address emerging forest health and climate change impacts. Researchers will measure forest structural, compositional, and functional outcomes of these strategies at these sites to document forest management approaches that provide the greatest adaptation potential for northern hardwood, mixedwood, and spruce-fir ecosystems. Through partnerships with federal, state, Tribal, private, and NGO forestry stakeholders, researchers will develop outreach materials, such as pamphlets, webpages, webinars, and workshops that identify site-tailored, best adaptation practices for these key forest types in northern New England and New York.

Short-term benefits for the Northern Forest include management guidance and a broadened community of practice for operationalizing forest adaptation strategies to address emerging threats. Long-term benefits include the ability to sustain ecological and economic benefits of critically important forest ecosystems despite changing climate and disturbances.

Final Products

Myers, S. and D’Amato, A. 2024. Adaptation Actions for Northern Forest Ecosystems in New England and New York: Northern Hardwoods. Technology Transfer. Houghton, MI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Northern Forests Climate Hub. 6 p. 

Myers, S. and D’Amato, A. 2024. Adaptation Actions for Northern Forest Ecosystems in New England and New York: Mixedwoods. Technology Transfer. Houghton, MI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Northern Forests Climate Hub. 6 p. 

Myers, S. and D’Amato, A. 2024. Adaptation Actions for Northern Forest Ecosystems in New England and New York: Spruce-fir. Technology Transfer. Houghton, MI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Northern Forests Climate Hub. 6 p. 

Website: https://forestadaptation.org/learn/resource-finder/northern-forest-adapt

Theses 

Whiting, D. 2025. Nonstructural carbohydrates as a proxy for adaptive capacity and a mechanism for resilience in northern hardwood and mixedwood forests. University of Vermont, Masters’ Thesis. 

Presentations

D’Amato, A.W. 2023. Implementing forest adaptation options for Northern Forest ecosystems. Presentation. Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative Annual Meeting, December 14. Burlington, VT. 

D’Amato, A.W. and S. Myers. 2023. Implementing forest adaptation strategies for northern hardwood, mixedwood, and spruce-fir forests. Manager Workshop. Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative Annual Meeting, December 14. Burlington, VT 

D’Amato, A.W. 2023. Outcomes of Adaptive Silviculture in Northern Hardwood and Spruce-Fir Forests in Northern New England. Presentation. 2023 Granite State Division of SAF Annual Meeting. February 10. Bartlett, NH.  

D’Amato, A.W., 2023. Field tour of adaptation experiments in VT with project partners. 2023 Forest Stewards Guild Gathering. October 6-7. Greensboro, VT.  

D’Amato, A.W. 2023. Putting Adaptation into Practice: Overview of General Principles and Approaches. Northeast Silviculture Institute for Foresters Climate Adaptation and Carbon Training. October 12. Leominster, MA.  

D’Amato, A.W., S. Myers, M. Brady, T. Ontl, C. Woodall, K. Evans, T. Morelli, K. Frecker. 2024. Workshop and tour of Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change Experiment with Resource Management Staff from Green and White Mountain National Forest. September 10. Second College Grant, NH. 

D’Amato, A.W. 2024. Putting Adaptation into Practice: Overview of General Principles and Approaches Northeast Silviculture Institute for Foresters Climate Adaptation and Carbon Training. October 17, Randolph, VT. 

D’Amato, A.W. 2024. Assisted tree migration: motivations, misconceptions, and applications. Presentation. Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative Annual Meeting, December 12. Burlington, VT. 

Other tangible products  

• USDA Forest Climate Hub Manager’s Web Guides: 

• Adaptation Actions for Northern Hardwood Forests in New England and New York 

• Adaptation Actions for Spruce-Fir Forests in New England and New York 

• Adaptation Actions for Mixedwood Forests in New England and New York