Forestry in Canada The British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations has acknowledged that climate change will likely threaten the health of the millions of trees that are planted in the province every year, with potential environmental and economic consequences: Approximately 300 million tree seedlings are planted in the western US, British Columbia (BC) and the Yukon each year. Many climatologists are predicting that the climate could be 3–4°C warmer when those trees are harvested 60-80 years after planting. These changes to climate will expose trees to increased stress and health risks, compromising the many goods and services from the forests. In response to this threat, the ministry has initiated a large-scale study to determine the long-term health of seedlings of 15 tree species planted beyond their native ranges, into areas expected to become suitable due to changes in climate this century. Results from the study will be used to develop guidelines for when and how assisted colonization of trees should be conducted. In 2009, BC also altered standards for selecting seeds for replanting forests after a timber harvest. Previously, foresters were required to use seeds from within 300 meters downhill and 200 meters uphill, but the new policy allows foresters to obtain seeds from up to 500 meters downhill for most species, taking advantage of the fact that populations in warmer habitats downhill may be better adapted to the future climate of the restoration site. Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank, US Although not actively engaging in assisted colonization, the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank seeks to collect seeds from populations of species expected to decline or disappear due to climate change. They prioritize collections from populations at greatest risk of disappearance and for which suitable habitat is projected to occur elsewhere in the general region, keeping open the possibility of using collected seeds for assisted colonization projects in the future.
Forestry in North America In the North American context, assisted colonization is most often discussed in the context of the relocalization of trees and forests. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia modified their tree reseeding guidelines to account for the northward movement of forest's optimal ranges. British Columbia even gave the green light for the relocation of a single species, the Western Larch, 1000 km northward. Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank, US Although not actively engaging in assisted colonization, the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank seeks to collect seeds from populations of species expected to decline or disappear due to climate change. They prioritize collections from populations at greatest risk of disappearance and for which suitable habitat is projected to occur elsewhere in the general region, keeping open the possibility of using collected seeds for assisted colonization projects in the future.
R
Canada The British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resource Operations has acknowledged that climate change will likely threaten the health of the millions of trees that are planted in the province every year, with potential environmental and economic consequences: Approximately 300 million tree seedlings are planted in the western US, British Columbia (BC) and the Yukon each year. Many climatologists are predicting that the climate could be 3–4°C warmer when those trees are harvested 60-80 years after planting. These changes to climate will expose trees to increased stress and health risks, compromising the many goods and services from the forests.
North America
D
In response to this threat, the ministry has initiated a large-scale study to determine the long-term health of seedlings of 15 tree species planted beyond their native ranges, into areas expected to become suitable due to changes in climate this century. Results from the study will be used to develop guidelines for when and how assisted colonization of trees should be conducted.
R
In 2009, BC also altered standards for selecting seeds for replanting forests after a timber harvest. Previously, foresters were required to use seeds from within 300 meters downhill and 200 meters uphill, but the new policy allows foresters to obtain seeds from up to 500 meters downhill for most species, taking advantage of the fact that populations in warmer habitats downhill may be better adapted to the future climate of the restoration site.
In the North American context, assisted colonization is most often discussed in the context of the relocalization of trees and forests. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia modified their tree reseeding guidelines to account for the northward movement of forest's optimal ranges. British Columbia even gave the green light for the relocation of a single species, the Western Larch, 1000 km northward.