New Mexico Forestry and Climate Change Workshop

New Mexico Forestry and Climate Change Workshop
November 20, 2008, 8:00 am–5:00 pm
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Workshop Goal

The goal of the workshop is to provide foresters and other natural resource professionals with information about climate change's projected impacts on New Mexico's forests to incorporate into their management decision making. Forest managers, researchers, landowners, students, activists, and the general public are encouraged to attend.

Working Group Approach

We’ve organized four working groups, each comprised of researchers and forest managers focusing on one of New Mexico’s dominant forest types (bosque, piñon-juniper, ponderosa pine, and mixed conifer/aspen). Leading up to the workshop, each working group will develop a 45-50 minute presentation about the projected impacts of climate change on their assigned forest type, including practical on-the-ground knowledge and management considerations for use by resource managers. The presentations will occur sequentially, with each followed by 30 minutes for open discussion, so all workshop attendees can participate in all sessions. The workshop will also include a plenary overview session about climate change and New Mexico's forests.

Workshop Presentations

Overview presentations
  • Julie Coonrod (Department of Civil Engineering, University of New Mexico): “Climate change scenarios for New Mexico’s forests” Audio (mp3) Presentation (pdf)
  • Craig Allen (U.S. Geological Survey, Jemez Mountains Field Station): “Climate change and the vulnerability of New Mexico forests to altered disturbance processes” Audio (mp3) Presentation (pdf)
  • Connie Millar (Sierra Nevada Research Center, U.S. Forest Service): “Climate change and managing forests in the face of uncertainty” Audio (mp3) Presentation (pdf)
  • Deborah Finch (Rocky Mountain Research Station, U.S. Forest Service): “Developing a tool to assess wildlife species vulnerability to climate change” Audio (mp3) Presentation (pdf)
  • Denise Fort (University of New Mexico School of Law) "Climate Change and Us: Taking Responsibility for the Future" Presentation (pdf)
  • Craig Allen (U.S. Geological Survey, Jemez Mountains Field Station): “Summary Presentation” Presentation (pdf)

 Working group presentations by forest type

Funding for the New Mexico Forestry and Climate Change Workshop is provided by the Biophilia Foundation, Thaw Charitable Trust, New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute, US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, US Forest Service Region 3, the Bureau of Land Management New Mexico State Office, and Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation.