Effects of climate, disturbance, and management on the growth and dynamics of temperate and sub-boreal forest ecosystems within the Lake States and New England

This project is using a combination of long-term data records and recently established large-scale adaptive management studies in managed forests across the Lake States, New England, Intermountain West, and Black Hills to identify forest management strategies and forest conditions that confer the greatest levels of resistance and resilience to past and emerging stressors and their relevance in addressing future global change.  This work represents a broad partnership between scientists from the USFS Northern Research Station, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, USGS, University of MN,  University of Maine, and Dartmoutch College in an effort to capitalize on over 50 years of data collection on USFS Experimental Forests and Forest Inventory and Analysis plot to evaluate forest adaptation strategies. In addition, this project includes two installations of the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) network in northern MN and northern NH and is using these sites to examine resistance, resilience, and transition strategies for these forests and resultant impacts on ecosystem services and wildlife populations.

• D’Amato, A.W., A. Mahaffey, L. Pepper, A. Kosiba, N. Path, and P. van Loon. 2020. Ten recommendations for managing ash in the face of emerald ash borer and climate change. Forest Stewards Guild outreach pamphlet. (co-produced with Forest Steward Guild, Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation, and Vermont Land Trust).

• D’Amato, A.W. Silviculture through the lens of forest adaptation. November 7. Climate Change Adaptation in New England Forested Watershed Management Workshop, Westboro, MA.           

• Technical contributor (non-federal co-author) on NCA4 Forests chapter; Participant and presenter in "Ecological Drought in the Northeast United States" Northeast Climate Science Workshop (May 3-4, 2016); Presenter at "National Drought Meeting" organized by USFS Washington Office (San Antonio, TX, March 21-23, 2017);  Served as Instructor and workshop co-organizer for "Climate-informed management Workshop" sponsored by the with the Sustainable Forestry Education Cooperative, May 2013. Served as Instructor and workshop co-organizer for "Adaptive Forest Management Workshop" sponsored by the with the Sustainable Forestry Education Cooperative, November 2012; Served as Instructor and workshop co-organizer for "Adaptive Management in the Face of Climate Change Workshop" sponsored by the with the Sustainable Forestry Education Cooperative, March 2012.

• CSC News: New Report: Vulnerability of Northeast Forests. February 12, 2018.
• Anthony D'Amato Interview on Northeast Public Radio: Mild Winters In Our Near Future Will Threaten The Trees That Define Vermont Forests, February 12, 2018.
• Anthony D'Amato Interview on Northeast Public Radio: UVM Forestry Professor Discusses New Study On Climate Change Impact On Northeast Forests, February 8, 2018.
• D'Amato, A.W. 2016.  Exploring silvicultural strategies in Vermont's Changing Forest: Northern Hardwoods.  University of Vermont Extension Webinar January 21, 2016
• Catanzaro, Paul F., D'Amato Anthony W., and Huff Emily Silver, (2016) Increasing Forest Resiliency for an Uncertain Future. Outreach Pamphlet. 32 pp
• Meetings
• Designing adaptive habitat management experiment with biologists and foresters on the Nulhegan Basin Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge, September 29.
• G. Edge (Wisconsin DNR) and J. Hartman (Michigan DNR), challenges surrounding the application of assisted migration in Michigan and Wisconsin, August 20.
• Designing adaptive habitat management experiment with biologists and foresters on the Nulhegan Basin Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge, August 27.
•  Designing adaptive habitat management experiment, foresters from Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation at Okemo State Forest, August 10.
• Co-production meeting with foresters, ecologists, and scientists from Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, Vermont Land Trust, Redstart Natural Resources, and Dartmouth College Woodlands, co-designing experimental adaptation treatments for new research site in Corinth, VT (July 23).
• Co-production meeting with ecologists and foresters with the Nature Conservancy (New York) to finalize research goals and sampling designs for large adaptation planting on the Tug Hill Plateau, NY (July 24).
• Co-production meeting with Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation staff on June 19 and June 22, 2020
• Co-production meeting with USFWS from Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (Nulhegan Basin) on June 26, 2020
• Webinar as part of Vermont Woodlands Association webinar series, “Climate Adaptation and Forest Management at the Catamount Community Forest”, May 5, 2020
• Panel presentation at stakeholder adaptation workshop:
• A.W. D’Amato. 2020. Silviculture of northern forests through the adaptation lens. Adaptation Planning and Practices for Water Supply Reservoir Forests in the Mid-Atlantic, Edgemere, MD,   January 30
• Forest adaptation co-development working session with managers from NGOs, National Forests, and state agencies in NY, NH, VT, and ME at Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Cooperative Annual meeting in December. Collaborative opportunity stemming from this session associated with new series of co-developed forest adaptation experiments being established in northern New England and Maine.  Looking for collaborators interested in measuring wildlife responses as well as expanding network to engage tribal partners.
• D’Amato, A.W., and K. Evans. January 16. Opportunities and constraints to assisted migration in northern forests. Forest Adaptation Webinar Series, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science and Forest Stewards Guild. 
• Climate-Informed Forest Management Forum and Field Day.  Grand Rapids and Chippewa National Forest, MN, May 7-8, 2014
• Northeast Climate Science Center Outreach and Science Planning, Minneapolis, MN, January 17-18, 2013
• Western LCCs within Northeast CSC, Madison, WI, May 23, 2012 change.  USFS Northern Research Station/NASA