Northern Hardwood | Adaptation Workbook

Northern hardwood forests are diverse and widely distributed over a variety of sites from 800 to 3500 feet in elevation. Sites can range from dry-mesic to wet-mesic conditions and nutrient-poor to enriched glaciated or unglaciated soils. The highest elevations support sugar maple, yellow birch, and American beech, sometimes mixed with or dominated by eastern hemlock. Tulip tree, basswood, northern red oak, black cherry, and white pine are often found on moist and well-drained sites, with associates of beech, sugar maple, red maple, white ash, and grey and black (sweet) birch. Red pine, white pine, and northern red oak can dominate relatively dry sites at lower elevations, with associates of sugar maple, red maple, beech, aspen, sweet birch, and paper birch.

Climate Impact Statements

Changes in soil temperature and moisture and associated changes in nutrient availability or soil processes could have substantial effects on sugar maple and other northern hardwoods species.

Northern hardwood forests are widely distributed across a variety of sites, increasing adaptive capacity.

An increase in extreme weather events is expected to accelerate gap formation and regeneration. Northern hardwoods forests typically recover slowly in response to disturbance, which may lower adaptive capacity.

High levels of species richness may increase the ability of forests to adapt to climate change.

Northern hardwoods tree species are expected to respond to climate change in different ways. Several dominant tree species are projected to decline, while other species are projected to remain stable or increase.

Some northern hardwood species may be more likley to persist or increase through the end of the century , such as red maple, northern red oak, and tulip tree.

Deer herbivory is currently limiting to seedling establishment and growth in northern hardwood forests, and deer populations are not expected to change dramatically due to climate alone.

Invasive species such as buckthorn, honeysuckle, garlic mustard, and Japanese stiltgrass are expected to expand in newly formed gaps and compete with native species in northern hardwood forests.

Insect pests, pathogens, and interactions with drought and other disturbances may cause damage in the near term, with the Asian longhorned beetle posing a serious threat to northern hardwood species.

Vulnerability

Moderate-High