Scientist to discuss impact of climate change on Nebraska's forests

As wildfires and flooding continue to cause damage throughout North America, the Nebraska Forest Service moves to better understand and prepare for change with a free public lecture, "Climate Change: Implications for Nebraska's Forests."
As wildfires and flooding continue to cause damage throughout North America, the Nebraska Forest Service moves to better understand and prepare for change with a free public lecture, "Climate Change: Implications for Nebraska's Forests."

As wildfires and flooding continue to cause damage throughout North America, the Nebraska Forest Service moves to better understand and prepare for change with a free public lecture, "Climate Change: Implications for Nebraska's Forests," at 7 p.m., Oct. 13 in the Hardin Hall auditorium. The event is free but participants are encouraged to sign up at http://go.unl.edu/climatechange.

Linda Joyce, climate scientist for the United States Forest Service, will talk about the impact of climate change on ecosystems, plants and animals, as well as the socio-economic implications of those effects. Joyce said the goal is to be proactive, "to identify management, research, education and policy actions that can be implemented now and in coming years to enhance resilience and minimize damage from climate change."

The event grew out of a 2014 University of Nebraska-Lincoln report "Understanding and Assessing Climate Change: Implications for Nebraska," available online at http://go.unl.edu/9dq0, which summarized current understanding of climate change science, projected changes in climate for Nebraska and looked at the implications and challenges for some of the state's primary sectors. Joyce's presentation focuses more specifically on the impact of climate change on Nebraska's forests and trees.

The Nebraska Forest Service, an affiliate of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UNL, works to enrich lives by protecting, restoring and utilizing Nebraska's tree and forest resources. Learn more at http://nfs.unl.edu.

— John Erixson, Nebraska Forest Service