The scope of the forest sector is all of the forest land in the United States, public and private, and the associated uses. Services specifically include the biological, hydrological and geochemical functions of forests and those which affect the overall state of forest health. There are numerous overlaps and synergies with other sectors because of the broad array of services and goods provided by forests.
Baseline information is critical in understanding forest responses to climate change.
Timber inventory and growth and mortality data are needed by species, species groupings, forest types, forest development stages, and soil types, sufficient to model differential responses to climate change. Projections are needed on land use change, including agriculture, urban, and intensity of forest management. To model demands for forest uses, information is needed on trends in population, income, processing and use technology, and the forest-based industries, including the likely potential for the use of recycled wood products. Finally, more information is needed on the interactions between forest conditions, especially management, and water availability and quality. Several important assessments already exist or are underway which address the potential consequences of climate change on forests.