PROJECT TITLE (ID)
The Adaptation of Asia-Pacific Forests to Climate Change
EXECUTING AGENCY
Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PARTNERS
Environmental Canada
BC Ministry of Forests, Mines and Lands
US Forest Services
University of Melbourne
Chinese Academy of Forestry
Jiangxi Agricultural University
Nanjing Forestry University
Research Institute of Insect Resources, China
SUPERVISORY AGENCY
ECONOMIES DIRECTLY BENEFITING
China, Canada, Austria
DURATION
36 months, 1 Nov 2011-31 Oct 2014
PROJECT SITE MAP
GOAL
The project aims to develop adaptive strategies that will facilitate an increase in the resilience of forests and forest-dependent communities in the Asia-Pacific region to climate change by applying state-of-the-art technologies and analytical approaches from climate modelling, geospatial analysis and sustainable forest management.
OBJECTIVES
Analysis of the current status of climate change studies in forest ecosystems and forest dependent communities in the Asia-Pacific region to identify knowledge gaps and define working hypotheses;
Development of high-resolution climate models for western North America and the entire Asia-Pacific region;
Development of ecological models to predict impacts of climate change on distributions of three major forest trees(Chinese fir/ Cunninghamia Lanceolata; Eucalyptus(E. urophylla and E. grandis), in the Asia-Pacific region; and Douglas-fir/ Pseudotsuga menziesii in North America;
Development of science-based adaptation strategies in management practices that will increase the resilience of forests and forest-dependent communities in the Asia-Pacific region to climate change, including specific recommendations for the pilot study sites;
Establishment of a network of scientists, forest practitioners and policy makers in the Asia-Pacific region that will facilitate capacity building and knowledge transfer, and will support and strengthen decision-making over forest management responses to climate change;
Development of scientific tools to support scientific research and policy making for regional forest rehabilitation and afforestation in a changing climate.
EXPECTED OUTPUTS
A report analyzing current knowledge on climate change studies in forest ecosystems and forest dependent communities in this region.
High-resolution climate models that can generate climate data for any location in the region for historical years (1901‒2010) and future periods (2020s, 2050s and 2080s). High-resolution climate maps including some important climate variables, such as mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, arid index and growing degree-days, for the entire region.
Ecological models that predict impacts of climate change on major tree species distributions (Chinese fir; Eucalyptus; and Douglas-fir). Maps of predicted shifts in suitable climatic conditions for these major marketable tree species will be provided for various climate change scenarios.
SFM recommendations to increase the resilience of forests and forest-dependent communities in the Asia-Pacific region to climate change.
A network that connects scientists, forest managers and policy makers in the region to share information, knowledge and new research products.
Web-based scientific tools for regional forest rehabilitation and afforestation including interactive climate models, climate maps, bioclimate maps for major ecosystems and some important tree species.
ACTIVITIES
Objective 1: Analysis of current knowledge on impacts of climate on forests in the Asia-Pacific Region
Research on climate change and forest adaptation and mitigation
Climate issues in the Asia-Pacific region, and current strategies and actions
Accomplishment and effectiveness analysis, and opportunities for improvement
Objective2:Development and application of high-resolution climate models ClimateWNA and ClimateAP
Data collection and processing
Model development
Model validation and the generation of climate maps for the reference and future periods
Objective 3: Development of ecological models
Collection of vegetation data including the data for three major tree species distributions in western North America, China and Australia
Generation of high-resolution climate data for the locations where vegetation data are collected, and gridded climate data for projections of bioclimate envelope maps.
Development of models to capture the plant-climate relationships using the machine-learning approach Random Forest and process-based approach TACA and LANDIS models.
Objective 4: Pilot study and development of recommendations for SFM practices for adaptation
pilot research work
Integration between ecological model predictions and local forest management
Application of best management practices to the pilot sites
Objective 5: Communication, network building and technology transfer
Objective 6: development of web-based climate tools for APFNet
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