June, 2008

NAFC Working Group ReportAtmospheric Change and Forests

XXIV Meeting of the North American Forest CommissionSan Juan, Puerto Rico

Northern Hemisphere Carbon Emissions

Source: Climate Change Impacts on the US, NAST, 2000

Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations

Source: Climate Change Impacts on the US, NAST, 2000

Northern Hemisphere Surface Temperature

Source: Climate Change Impacts on the US, NAST, 2000

CLIMATE POLICY: SQUARING UP TO REALITY Both emissions reduction and adaptation will need to be much stronger than currently planned if dangerous global impacts of climate change are to be avoided. June’s UN talks in Bonn and July’s G8 summit present opportunities for world leaders to face this challenge. Martin Parry, Jean Palutikof, Clair Hanson and Jason Lowe.

Source: Nature Reviews: Climate Change. 29th May 2008

Bottom Line – Climate change, and the impacts of climate change are progressing more rapidly than the majority of scientist believed possibleeven a few years ago. Significant negative ecosystem damage now appearsInevitable, and a much more aggressive approach needs to be implemented Very soon if catastrophic damage is to be avoided.

The Atmospheric Change and Forests Working Group promotes the knowledge of forest ecosystems through the science and monitoring of the effects of atmospheric pollutants on these forests, through international cooperation and dissemination of new technologies and techniques among the cooperating countries.

Working Group Mission

2007 Annual Meeting, April 3-5, 2007 Guadalajara, Mexico. Held in conjunction with the 39th Annual Air Pollution Workshop

40th Annual Air Pollution Workshop and Symposium Series: Symposium title: Air Pollution in a Changing World, Raleigh, North Carolina April 7-10, 2008

Collaborations with other organizations

Working Group Meeting

National Atmospheric Deposition Program Meeting April Pensacola FL April 28 – May 1, 2008

Working Group Focus

• Interactions between climate change and other stressors

• Development of “seamless” assessments that span international borders

• Interactions with thematic working group, especially ecosystem resiliency working group

• Replace the loss of key members from Canada

OutputsMcNulty, Steven, Roger Cox, Allen R. Riebau, Douglas G. Fox, Carlos Gonzales Vicente. 2006. Interactions Between Climate Change and Other Environmental Stresses on North American Forest and Rangeland Health XXIII Session of the North American Forest Commission Report. October 2006

McNulty, Steven, Roger Cox, Allen R. Riebau. 2007. Interactions Between Climate Change and Other Environmental Stresses on North American Forest and Rangeland Health. International Panel of Climate Change. Fuji Meeting, June, 2007.

Paoletti E., Bytnerowicz A., Andersen C., Augustaitis A., Ferretti M., Günthardt-Goerg M., Innes J., Johnson D., Karnosky D., Luangjame J., Matyssek R., McNulty S., Müller-Starck G., Musselmann R., and Percy K. 2007. Impacts of air pollution and climate change on forest ecosystems - Emerging research needs. The Scientific World Journal: 7(s1) 1-8.

McNulty, Steven G.; Strickland, Sara E.; and Moore Myers, Jennifer A. In Press. Climate Change and Fire Impacts on Ecosystem Critical Nitrogen Load. In: Kafatos, F. and Qu (Eds.). Remote Sensing and Modeling Applications to Wildland Fires. Geosciences of Springer-Verlag.