Source: Climate Change Impacts on the US: Pacific Northwest
NW forests have played a crucial role in this area, both economically and culturally, and are faced with extensive future changes. The NW holds about half of the world’s temperate rain-forest; coniferous forests cover eighty percent of landwest of the Cascade crest. Unfortunately, they have been deeply altered over the past 150 years by human activity, as well as an increasing lack of moisture during the warm, dry summer. Some studies show 75 to 95% of original old-growth forest have been used for logging. These alarming changes are estimated to have released 2 billion metric tons of carbon over the last century. With the decreased moisture in the summer months, the risk greatly increases for extreme fires over large areas. They are also at greater risk for insect infestation and disease. These major disturbances can set the forest back to their establishment stage where trees are very susceptible.
Summer drought depends mostly on winter and spring precipitation along with summer temperature. A predicted increase of summer drought will reduce growth and survival, while increasing stress and mortality. All of these disturbances are likely to lead to the largest impact of future climate change in NW forests, which will significantly increase the number of trees at risk for fire by 2100.
The following are the social and economic impacts of this path of destruction:
- Much of the recreation lifestyle would be changed
- Tourism industries could be greatly effected
- Increased loss of forest cover, road building, timber harvesting, wildlife habitat, clean air, and regulation of ability and quality of NW water supply
- Negative environmental impact on forest productivity
- Reduced forest range and timber yield in the NW
