Forest and Climate Change
Introduction
Climate change is transforming forest ecosystems at an unprecedented rate, altering their structure, function, and long‑term stability. Rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are driving complex ecological responses across Canada’s diverse forest biomes. These climatic shifts influence forest productivity, species distribution, regeneration dynamics, carbon sequestration capacity, disturbance regimes, and overall ecosystem resilience.
Forests play a central role in climate regulation through carbon storage, albedo modification, and hydrological cycling. Yet climate‑driven stressors such as prolonged drought, heatwaves, intensified wildfire activity, insect outbreaks, and emerging pathogens pose significant risks to forest health and the ecological services forests provide. Understanding these interactions is essential for developing adaptive management strategies, strengthening forest resilience, and informing national climate‑change mitigation and adaptation policies.
The Canadian Journal of Forestry Research (CJFR) advances scientific inquiry into the multifaceted relationships between forests and climate change. Research in this domain integrates ecological modelling, long‑term monitoring, remote sensing technologies, and interdisciplinary analysis to assess climate impacts, forecast future conditions, and support evidence‑based decision‑making. By fostering collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, CJFR contributes to the sustainable management and conservation of Canada’s forest landscapes in a rapidly changing climate.
General Objectives
The general objective is to examine how climate change influences forest ecosystem processes including productivity, regeneration, nutrient cycling, and carbon dynamics while assessing the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of forest species and ecosystems under varying climatic scenarios, evaluating climate‑driven changes in disturbance regimes such as wildfires, insect outbreaks, drought, and disease, advancing scientific tools and methodologies for monitoring, modelling, and predicting climate impacts on forests, supporting the development of climate‑resilient forest management strategies that enhance long‑term ecosystem stability and sustainability, and informing national and regional climate policies through evidence‑based research and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of the Forest and Climate Change study are to:
1. Climate Impact Assessment
Quantify the effects of temperature increases, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events on forest growth, mortality, and regeneration.
Analyse climate‑induced shifts in species distribution, phenology, and habitat suitability.
Evaluate impacts on forest carbon sequestration, storage, and emissions.
2. Disturbance Regime Analysis
Investigate how climate change intensifies wildfire frequency, severity, and spread.
Model insect population dynamics under warming conditions, including bark beetles, spruce budworm, and other climate‑sensitive pests.
Assess the emergence and spread of climate‑driven forest diseases and pathogens.
Examine drought‑related stress, windthrow susceptibility, and hydrological disruptions.
3. Monitoring and Diagnostic Technologies
Develop and apply remote sensing tools (LiDAR, hyperspectral imaging, UAV systems) for climate‑impact detection.
Enhance long‑term ecological monitoring networks to track climate‑related forest changes.
Integrate molecular, physiological, and dendrochronological techniques for climate‑response diagnostics.
4. Modelling and Forecasting
Build predictive models to simulate forest responses under multiple climate scenarios.
Link climate models with forest growth, disturbance, and carbon‑cycle models.
Identify resilience thresholds and tipping points in forest ecosystems.
5. Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies
Formulate adaptive silvicultural practices to enhance forest resilience.
Evaluate climate‑smart forest management approaches, including assisted migration, species diversification, and fuel‑management strategies.
Assess the role of forests in national climate‑change mitigation efforts, including carbon offset programs and nature‑based solutions.
6. Policy, Governance, and Knowledge Mobilization
Provide evidence‑based insights to support federal, provincial, and territorial climate‑forest policies.
Inform industry and land‑management decision‑making with climate‑risk assessments and adaptation frameworks.
Promote knowledge exchange among researchers, policymakers, Indigenous communities, and forestry practitioners.
