Management of Forests and Woodlands

Decisions on restoration in the Southwest will be increasingly challenging due to predicted changes and disturbances in climate regimes. Models predict numerous changes in species and habitat at the regional scale, but these predictions are difficult to translate into local management practices. Reforestation in the Southwest already is challenging due to dry spring conditions in most years, though foresters like to have vegetation in place before monsoonal rains increase the risk of erosion. As the Southwest becomes even warmer, reforestation efforts after stand-replacing fires and other large- scale disturbances will become even more challenging.