What will you learn?
Climate change beliefs and concerns are well documented for the American public, but fewer studies focus on the perceptions and adaptation needs of key groups involved in management of natural resources. We surveyed professional foresters in the southern United States to identify how frequently they observe sixteen climate-related variables that affect pine plantations and forests to evaluate how climate change responses vary across the South. We found that southern foresters observed an overall change in climate, longer dry periods or drought conditions, greater frequency and/or severity of invasive plant infestations, warmer winters, and hotter summers with the highest frequency. Other examples of climatic change (e.g., greater frequency and/or severity of fires) was observed frequently only in select states. A spatial analysis of foresters’ responses provided evidence that observations of climatic change are generally observed with higher frequency by foresters from Oklahoma, Florida, and Kentucky. These findings can inform Extension programming and facilitate development of materials tailored to address climatic changes that foresters report observing for each state.
Presenter: Dr. Mark Megalos, Extension Associate Professor, NC State University
Education Credits from the following organizations continuing education programs have been approved: Society of American Foresters - 1 hour Category 1 Credit
Registration not required. To Join the webinar visit http\://www.forestrywebinars.net/webinars/southern-foresters2019-climate-observations-state-comparisons-and-spatial-trends