As the climate changes, the health and composition of many forests and grasslands is already shifting due to temperature changes, water availability, and an increase in climate-related disturbances. These changes can weaken ecosystems, compromising their ability to provide the critical services millions of Americans rely on.

Forest Service research provides a science-based; foundation that guides our efforts to help ecosystems and communities adapt to the new conditions brought on by climate change. With over a century of data, a cadre of world-class scientists, and a network of national and international partners Forest Service researchers study the how changes in management practices can help create resilient forest, grassland, and aquatic systems that can better withstand and recover from climate-caused disturbances. Our scientists work with land managers to identify opportunities to minimize the impact of drought, changing weather patterns, hurricanes, and other climate-influenced landscape disturbances on forest structure, water quality and volume, wildlife, carbon, and more.

The Forest Service invests in this research because:

• An understanding of key attributes of natural ecosystems, their sensitivity to change, capacity to avoid damage, and respond to change can help managers identify responses to climate change.
   
• Communities and cities need user-friendly, approaches to plan for and manage the impact of climate change. Forest Service researchers work with partners to develop a range of climate vulnerability and adaptation tools. 
   
• Proactive adaptation strategies can help protect forested watershed that supply one-fifth of the nation's water, create more fire-adapted communities, and alleviate heat in urban areas.
   
• Adaptation measures can have the co-benefit of storing additional carbon on the landscape, helping mitigate climate change.

Featured Work

USDA Climate Hubs

USDA's Climate Hubs are a unique collaboration across the department's agencies. They are led and hosted by the Agricultural Research Service and Forest Service located at ten regional locations, with contributions from many agencies including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the Risk Management Agency. The Climate Hubs link USDA research and program agencies in their regional delivery of timely and authoritative tools and information to agricultural producers and professionals.

Compendium of Adaptation Approaches

The Adaptation Approaches help natural resource managers and landowners identify actions for responding to climate change. It provides a curated list of adaptation actions the helps you move from broad ideas to specific actions. Many illustrative examples of adaptation actions are included in this tool, but it is not a comprehensive list of all available options. Learn more about adaptation actions.

Effects of Drought on Forests and Rangelands in the United States: Translating Science into Management Responses

A general technical report providing the latest science on regional management options to address drought.

Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change Project

Forest Service researchers are leading on-the-ground, science-manager collaborative research experiments to test and demonstrate climate adaptation measures for forests.

Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu

This Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu, which was developed by a diverse group of collaborators representing tribal, academic, intertribal and government entities in the Great lakes (Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan), provides a framework to integrate indigenous and traditional knowledge, culture, language and history into the climate adaptation planning process.