New PINEMAP Tool Helps Foresters Plan and Adapt to Climate Changes in the Southeast
The PINEMAP decision support system (DSS) is a map-based collection of climate and forest productivity web tools designed to provide region-wide information on likely future climate risks, opportunities, and impacts on southern pine at a watershed-scale. DSS tools transform output from PINEMAP research into a framework to allow professional foresters and clients to make informed land management decisions. An iterative process of interaction between scientists and stakeholders is used for tool development through beta testing, workshops, and meetings.
While the tools were developed with applications to professional foresters in mind, several of them may be useful for land, water, wildlife, and cultural resource managers who make decisions for climate-sensitive areas. The DSS is now publicly available at: http://climate.ncsu.edu/pinemap/
Currently, PINEMAP’s DSS contains tools that display information on a range of possible future climates at local scales, including extreme temperatures and seasonal precipitation, and provide guidance for selecting and marketing seedlings.
DSS tools coming in spring 2016 include:
•Growing season length
•Drought and flood risk
•Forest productivity model outputs, such as:
- gross and net primary productivity
- net ecosystem productivity
- merchantable volume
- carbon above ground
- water stress
Should you have any questions or tool suggestions, please contact the folks at the State Climate Office of North Carolina.