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Forest management for carbon sequestration, mitigation and climate adaptation

Forests play a critical role in mitigating climate change by capturing carbon dioxide and storing carbon within soils and forest biomass. Forest management actions are necessary to support maintaining or enhancing the forest carbon sink, which offset about 15 percent of total U.S. fossil fuel emissions. Management actions can be designed to maintain existing carbon stocks or enhance sequestration capacity while providing co-benefits for other sustainable resource management objectives, such as timber supply, wildlife habitat, or water quality.

 

Adaptation in Action

There is no single answer on how to best adapt to climate change, and adaptation responses will vary by location based upon the magnitude of climate impacts, the inherent resilience of ecosystems, and the values and resources of local communities. The USDA Northern Forests and NIACS Climate Change Response Framework have created resources to help land managers anticipate climate change impacts and identify adaptation actions.

The Adaptation Strategies and Approaches are designed specifically for forest carbon management that draws direct connections between climate adaptation and mitigation. Drawing from a large body of scientific literature this menu is designed to be used with the Adaptation Workbook, this new resource will help managers understand and select from a wide variety of climate-informed actions that support carbon mitigation.

Download the menu of strategies and approaches for Forest Management for Carbon Sequestration and Climate Adaptation

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