Central Hardwoods ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the Central Hardwoods Climate Change Response Framework project

General Technical Report NRS-124

This assessment evaluates key ecosystem vulnerabilities to a range of future climate scenarios across the Central Hardwoods Region of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. The assessment summarizes current conditions and key stressors and identifies past and projected trends in climate. This information is then incorporated into model projections of future forest change. These projections, along with local knowledge and expertise, are used to identify what factors contribute to the vulnerability of forests across the Central Hardwoods Region and what forest community types may be more vulnerable than others over the next 100 years.