Central Hardwoods
Climate Change Response Framework
Newsletter
August 2012
Panel of Experts Discusses Climate Change Vulnerabilities of Central Hardwood Forests 
 
CH expert panelScientists and managers from state, federal, academic, and non-government organizations met at The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis June 26-28 to assess the vulnerability of Central Hardwood forest communities to climate change. This workshop was part of the Central Hardwoods Climate Change Response Framework project and builds upon several modeling efforts. You can read more about it on the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks LCC blog post. A poster highlighting the panel's results will be presented at the Ecological Society of America meeting on August 9th and can be downloaded here.
New Project Examines Death and Decay in Ozark Trees
 
ZanneLabPlotResearchers at The George Washington University, The Missouri Botanical Garden, and several other partner institutions are working to examine the role wood traits play in the decomposition and mortality of trees and other woody plants in the Missouri Ozarks. This research has important implications for understanding the vulnerability of tree species to drought and understanding how different tree species affect carbon turnover. Preliminary results from this project were presented at the recent Central Hardwoods Climate Change Response Framework expert panel workshop and the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting. More information can be found on the Zanne Lab website 
Drought Reaches "Exceptional" Status for Much of the Central Hardwoods Region

drought map
The combination of
oppressive heat and low precipitation has led to the worst drought experienced across the Central Hardwoods region in several decades. Much of the region is currently classified as experiencing "exceptional" drought according to the US Drought Monitor, the most intense category.  You can learn more about what's going on in your area by visiting your state climatologist's website. Illinois Indiana Missouri
Related Efforts
Check out these websites for resources and events related to climate change and the Central Hardwoods:
 
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 niacs artwork
 
For more information about this newsletter or to suggest an item for a future issue, email Leslie Brandt.