Transcript Atmospheric Change and Forests -- Steve McNulty

Air and Climate Working Group Report
Increased Interest in the Climate change
aspects of the group
Each of the member countries are actively
seeking improved understanding and application
of climate change research into forest
management
Increased interest in Climate change from
all NAFC countries
Completed and ongoing projects
Since the last meeting of this Group of Work celebrated in Vancouver,
Canada – October 2006, where the Report of Country was presented, some
research activities and scientific work have been performed with the
technical help of scientific researchers from the Forest Services of United
States and Canada, as well as from other institutions.
Most of the studies were taken in the valley and surroundings of the city of
México and in states like Tlaxcala and other places of the country.
México presents a series of conditions where the weather changes can
cause devastation in the water supply for the case of Tlaxcala, as reported
by some specialists, so as well the quantity of pollutants, obligate the local
and federal authorities to implant stricter rules for the control of pollutants
and damage compensation mechanisms that allow mitigating the
environmental impacts.
1.- Monitoring of the polluting particles by the Atmosphere Sciences Institute of
the National Autonomous University of México.
2.- The pollution of the atmospheric ozone in the forest basin of Mexico and its
influence in Health, taken by the Graduate College and the Forest and
Agricultural National Research Institute (INIFAP).
3.- The effect of the atmospheric N deposit and the humidity in the production
of wild eatable mushrooms performed by the Graduate College.
4.- The impact of the pollution on the ring amplitude and the dimension of the
(traquideas) in Abies religiosa in the Valley of Mexico performed by the
Graduate College.
5.- The adaptation to the climatic change in Central America, Mexico and
Cuba (PENUD/GEF) prepared in association with the (INE) and (CONAGUA).
6.- Daily, monthly, temporary and annual variability of the CO2, CO and CH4
emissions of burned biomass in North America and its impacts in the chemical
composition of the atmosphere., By the INIFAP-CONAFOR-NASA.
7.- Historical droughts in the center-north portions of Mexico and historical
hydro climatic variability in the northeast of Mexico performed by the INIFAP.
8.- Adaptation measures for the climatic change in the forest sector of
Tlaxcala Mexico of the Geography Institute of the National Autonomous
University of Mexico.
9.- Bonfire wood smoke evaluation of the National Research and
Environmental Capacitating Center.
10.- Impact of the atmospheric pollution in ecosystems of the National
Research and Environmental Capacitating Center.
11.- Air Quality and relationships between urban environment and forest of the
Center of the Atmospheric Sciences, National Autonomous University of
Mexico.
12.- Risk and Vulnerability of Climatic Change of the Center of Atmosphere
Sciences. National Autonomous University of Mexico.
13.- Predicative modeling of the distribution in global changes (Modeling of
Ecological Niches), of the Biology Institute of the National Autonomous
University of Mexico.
Climate Change and Other Environmental Stress
impacts on North American
Forests and Rangelands
Presented to the XXIII Session of the North
American Forestry Commission
Steven McNulty, USDA FS
Roger Cox, NRC
Allen R. Riebau, USDA FS
Gonzalez Vicente, CONAFOR
Two Aspects of the Climate Change and Air
Pollutant Working Group Combined
Stress interactions on ecosystems
Elevated nitrogen deposition
Causing altered tree
physiology
Critical
Load
Climate Change
Reduces N demand,
changes forest composition
Fire, insect
Reduces N demand,
changes forest composition
How a different critical nitrogen load could be
determined within the same ecosystem
N dep = 10 kg/ha/yr
N leaching = 0
Mortality = 0%
N dep = 10 kg/ha/yr
N dep = 10 kg/ha/yr
+ 3 yr Drought
+ 3 yr Drought
+ insect
N leaching = 1
Mortality = 10%
N leaching = 15
Mortality = 75%
Critical = 10 kg
Load
Critical = 8 kg
Load
N dep = 10 kg/ha/yr
+ 3 yr Drought
+insect
+ fire
Critical N > 10 kg
Load
N leaching = 25
Mortality = 100%
Critical < 5 kg
Load
Interactions Between Climate Change and Other Environmental
Stresses on North American Forest and Rangeland Health
For distribution at the XXIII Session of the North American Forest Commission
October 2006
Steven McNulty, Roger Cox, Allen R. Riebau, Carlos Gonzales Vicente
Abstract
Forests and rangelands are socially, ecologically and economically important to the countries of North
America. Timber, grazing, sources of clean water, carbon capture, landscape beauty, and wildlife habitats
are a few of the services provided by these ecosystems. However, since 1850 atmospheric concentrations
of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases associated with global warming have changed the climate of
North America, and that rate of change is increasing. Forests and rangeland have slowly evolved over
thousands of years, and the impacts of rapid climate change on ecosystem health and natural resource
supply is uncertain. However, there is sufficient evidence to indicate the general direction if not magnitude
of change. Climate variability (i.e., daily to inter-annual scale) is likely to increase, bringing more intense
precipitation events, droughts, and heat waves. These changes, in turn, will likely increase soil erosion,
stream sedimentation, and wildfire occurrence. Increases in insect and disease outbreaks will likely be
worsened by a synergism with other pollutant stresses (e.g., ozone, acid rain). Long-term climate change
(i.e., decadal and beyond) associated with increasing temperature and shifts in precipitation patterns and
seasonality will likely lead to changes in ecosystem composition, fisheries, and wildlife habitat, forest and
range land productivity, and stream flow. The severity of climate change may shift some forest areas into
rangelands, and rangelands into chaparral or desert ecosystems. Forest and rangeland managers to have
a role in mitigating climate change. Land managers will also need to develop and apply adaptation tools and
strategies to minimize the negative impacts of climate variability and change on these ecosystems.
Interactions between climate change and other environmental stresses on North American forest and
rangeland health are examined in this paper.
IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON FOREST
ECOSYSTEMS – EMERGING RESEARCH NEEDS
Elena Paoletti, Andrzej Bytnerowicz, Chris Andersen, Algirdas
Augustaitis, Marco Ferretti, Nancy Grulke, Madeleine S. GünthardtGoerg, John Innes, Dale Johnson, Dave Karnosky, Jesada Luangjame,
Rainer Matyssek, Steven McNulty, Gerhard Müller-Starck, Robert
Musselman, and Kevin Percy
Short Communication
Proceedings: Impacts of Air Pollution and Climate Change
on Forest Ecosystems
The ScientificWorld JOURNAL (2007) 7(S1), 1–8
ISSN 1537-744X; DOI 10.1100/tsw.2007.52
Future directions
Seek to replace lost members, especially from
Canada and Mexico
Improve and establish collaboration with other NAFC
working groups
ACCWG will present a keynote address at the
IUFRO: Group 7.01 air pollution and forest health
and 4 groups within 7.01; Switzerland in
September 2008