An integrated GIS and modeling approach for assessing the transient response of forests of the southern Great Lakes region to a doubled CO2 climate

This research examines the effects of climate change on the species composition of forests in the southern Great Lakes region in USA (Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio) by simultaneously addressing five key components necessary for realistic predictions of future forest composition. We simulated transient (1), species-level (2), forest response to climate change at a spatial scale that accounted for competitive effects (3), and regional site diversity (4), in the spatial configuration of forests within the regional landuse matrix (5). The JABOWA-II forest growth model was used to provide species-specific responses of 45 tree species to site conditions (e.g. climatic, edaphic) while accounting for competition for limited...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation; Tags: Climate change, Data Visualization & Tools, Forest dynamics, Gap model, Geographic information systems (GIS), All tags... Landscapes, Northeast CASC, Other Landscapes, Science Tools For Managers, Fewer tags