Air and Climate Working Group Report

1. Air and Climate Working Group Report Increased Interest in the Climate change aspects of the group Each of the member countries are actively seeking improved understanding and application of climate change research into forest management Increased interest in Climate change from all NAFC countries

2. Completed and ongoing projects Since the last meeting of this Group of Work celebrated in Vancouver, Canada – October 2006, where the Report of Country was presented, some research activities and scientific work have been performed with the technical help of scientific researchers from the Forest Services of United States and Canada, as well as from other institutions. Most of the studies were taken in the valley and surroundings of the city of México and in states like Tlaxcala and other places of the country. México presents a series of conditions where the weather changes can cause devastation in the water supply for the case of Tlaxcala, as reported by some specialists, so as well the quantity of pollutants, obligate the local and federal authorities to implant stricter rules for the control of pollutants and damage compensation mechanisms that allow mitigating the environmental impacts.

3. 1.- Monitoring of the polluting particles by the Atmosphere Sciences Institute of the National Autonomous University of México. 2.- The pollution of the atmospheric ozone in the forest basin of Mexico and its influence in Health, taken by the Graduate College and the Forest and Agricultural National Research Institute (INIFAP). 3.- The effect of the atmospheric N deposit and the humidity in the production of wild eatable mushrooms performed by the Graduate College. 4.- The impact of the pollution on the ring amplitude and the dimension of the (traquideas) in Abies religiosa in the Valley of Mexico performed by the Graduate College. 5.- The adaptation to the climatic change in Central America, Mexico and Cuba (PENUD/GEF) prepared in association with the (INE) and (CONAGUA). 6.- Daily, monthly, temporary and annual variability of the CO2, CO and CH4 emissions of burned biomass in North America and its impacts in the chemical composition of the atmosphere., By the INIFAP-CONAFOR-NASA.

4. 7.- Historical droughts in the center-north portions of Mexico and historical hydro climatic variability in the northeast of Mexico performed by the INIFAP. 8.- Adaptation measures for the climatic change in the forest sector of Tlaxcala Mexico of the Geography Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. 9.- Bonfire wood smoke evaluation of the National Research and Environmental Capacitating Center. 10.- Impact of the atmospheric pollution in ecosystems of the National Research and Environmental Capacitating Center. 11.- Air Quality and relationships between urban environment and forest of the Center of the Atmospheric Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico. 12.- Risk and Vulnerability of Climatic Change of the Center of Atmosphere Sciences. National Autonomous University of Mexico. 13.- Predicative modeling of the distribution in global changes (Modeling of Ecological Niches), of the Biology Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

5. Climate Change and Other Environmental Stress impacts on North American Forests and Rangelands Presented to the XXIII Session of the North American Forestry Commission Steven McNulty, USDA FS Roger Cox, NRC Allen R. Riebau, USDA FS Gonzalez Vicente, CONAFOR

6. Two Aspects of the Climate Change and Air Pollutant Working Group Combined

7. Stress interactions on ecosystems • Elevated nitrogen deposition • Causing altered tree physiology Critical Load Climate Change Reduces N demand, changes forest composition • Fire, insect • Reduces N demand, • changes forest composition

8. N dep = 10 kg/ha/yr N dep = 10 kg/ha/yr N dep = 10 kg/ha/yr N dep = 10 kg/ha/yr + 3 yr Drought +insect + fire N leaching = 0 Mortality = 0% + 3 yr Drought + insect + 3 yr Drought Critical N > 10 kg Load N leaching = 1 Mortality = 10% N leaching = 15 Mortality = 75% N leaching = 25 Mortality = 100% Critical < 5 kg Load Critical = 10 kg Load Critical = 8 kg Load How a different critical nitrogen load could be determined within the same ecosystem

9. Interactions Between Climate Change and Other Environmental Stresses on North American Forest and Rangeland Health For distribution at the XXIII Session of the North American Forest Commission October 2006 Steven McNulty, Roger Cox, Allen R. Riebau, Carlos Gonzales Vicente Abstract Forests and rangelands are socially, ecologically and economically important to the countries of North America. Timber, grazing, sources of clean water, carbon capture, landscape beauty, and wildlife habitats are a few of the services provided by these ecosystems. However, since 1850 atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases associated with global warming have changed the climate of North America, and that rate of change is increasing. Forests and rangeland have slowly evolved over thousands of years, and the impacts of rapid climate change on ecosystem health and natural resource supply is uncertain. However, there is sufficient evidence to indicate the general direction if not magnitude of change. Climate variability (i.e., daily to inter-annual scale) is likely to increase, bringing more intense precipitation events, droughts, and heat waves. These changes, in turn, will likely increase soil erosion, stream sedimentation, and wildfire occurrence. Increases in insect and disease outbreaks will likely be worsened by a synergism with other pollutant stresses (e.g., ozone, acid rain). Long-term climate change (i.e., decadal and beyond) associated with increasing temperature and shifts in precipitation patterns and seasonality will likely lead to changes in ecosystem composition, fisheries, and wildlife habitat, forest and range land productivity, and stream flow. The severity of climate change may shift some forest areas into rangelands, and rangelands into chaparral or desert ecosystems. Forest and rangeland managers to have a role in mitigating climate change. Land managers will also need to develop and apply adaptation tools and strategies to minimize the negative impacts of climate variability and change on these ecosystems. Interactions between climate change and other environmental stresses on North American forest and rangeland health are examined in this paper.

10. IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE ON FOREST ECOSYSTEMS – EMERGING RESEARCH NEEDS Elena Paoletti, Andrzej Bytnerowicz, Chris Andersen, Algirdas Augustaitis, Marco Ferretti, Nancy Grulke, Madeleine S. Günthardt-Goerg, John Innes, Dale Johnson, Dave Karnosky, Jesada Luangjame, Rainer Matyssek, Steven McNulty, Gerhard Müller-Starck, Robert Musselman, and Kevin Percy Short Communication Proceedings: Impacts of Air Pollution and Climate Change on Forest Ecosystems The ScientificWorld JOURNAL (2007) 7(S1), 1–8 ISSN 1537-744X; DOI 10.1100/tsw.2007.52

11. Future directions Seek to replace lost members, especially from Canada and Mexico Improve and establish collaboration with other NAFC working groups ACCWG will present a keynote address at the IUFRO: Group 7.01 air pollution and forest health and 4 groups within 7.01; Switzerland in September 2008