Rising Carbon Dioxide Levels and Forest Management (Climate Change and Variability in the Southwest Ecosystem Series)

Abstract

Several environmental factors are changing, including the global rise in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global warming. These environmental changes portend needed changes in the future management of forests in the Southwestern U.S. Therefore, University of Arizona Extension Agents organized a Workshop in Sedona, AZ, in February, 2005, targeted at Southwest forest managers. This paper presents facts from one of the presentations at that workshop and summarizes what the direct effects of the increased CO2 concentrations are likely to be on future tree growth. It is expected that the growth of most trees will be stimulated by the higher CO2 concentrations but variations in response among species will alter competition among species. The fact sheet also speculates about what the implications may be for future forest management. This research benefits the forest industry, as well as the many consumers of forest products.