Vulnerability of Canadian Forest Tree Species to Climate Change

Climate change will result in more frequent and severe disturbances such as droughts and fire, causing changes in forest dynamics and increasing stress on trees. Individual tree species vary in their ability to tolerate stressors, adapt to new conditions or migrate to a new location. We are working to determine the most important traits that influence a species’ sensitivity and adaptive capacity to climate change. We need to better understand the mechanisms underlying vulnerability to climate change as it will affect future forest composition. This knowledge will be helpful in the development of future forest policy and in the establishment of alternative forest management strategies.