Brad Withrow-Robinson, Forestry & Natural Resources Extension agent for Benton, Linn and Polk Counties.
In previous installments of this blog, we have discussed a variety of topics that create challenges for landowners and land managers who are trying to manage their properties in light of climate change, including that we cannot expect just one outcome in any region, but many outcomes according to site-specific factors like elevation, the slope and the direction it faces.
For landowners interested in reducing their risk or increasing a forest’s resiliency, there is still no clear and easy path forward. Not
enough is known and we need more information to guide our actions. Long-term data is the best source of information to shed light on changing weather patterns as well as the response of plants, animals and ecosystems to the changes, including changes in seasonal events and patterns (phenology). That data and knowledge can come from a number of institutional resources, but it can also come from the public, through citizen science efforts.