Research Database
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Trends in forest structure restoration need over three decades with increasing wildfire activity in the interior Pacific Northwest US
Year: 2022
Wildfire is a keystone ecological process in many forests worldwide, but fire exclusion and suppression have driven profound shifts in forest structure (e.g., increased density, canopy cover, biomass) that have contributed to increases in large, high-severity fire in many seasonally dry forests and woodlands of the western United States. Comparisons between contemporary and historic range of variability (HRV) in forest structure can quantify the amount and types of restoration that shift landscapes toward structural conditions that have his- torically fostered resilience to fire. However,…
Publication Type: Journal Article
Communication of the Role of Natural Variability in Future North American Climate
Year: 2012
As climate models improve, decision-makers' expectations for accurate climate predictions are growing. Natural climate variability, however, poses inherent limits to climate predictability and the related goal of adaptation guidance in many places, as illustrated here for North America. Other locations with low natural variability show a more predictable future in which anthropogenic forcing can be more readily identified, even on small scales. We call for a more focused dialogue between scientists, policymakers and the public to improve communication and avoid raising expectations for…
Publication Type: Journal Article