• Start-up
  • Planning
  • Action
  • Evaluation

Within four demonstration areas, actions were intentionally implemented to address and measure the effectiveness of climate-smart forestry adaptation strategies. The demonstrations are part of a broader education and outreach mission to help professional and private audiences learn how to identify and prioritize climate change vulnerabilities, and learn how to implement planned adaptation actions in their own forests.

In the heart of the city of Milwaukee, an unfragmented southern hardwood forested area is managed to improve resistance to impacts brought about by a changing climate and enhance long term forest resilience and adaptability. The Forest Exploration Center’s climate adaptation project aims to model stewardship, communicate the importance of research, and to increase awareness to all audiences through a variety of outreach and professional trainings.
People planting trees in the woods
Interpretive panel explaining assisted migration on site
Panel in the woods with text explaining the site
climate panels installed with person looking at one
Aerial map of landscape with project area

Project Area

Individuals in the forest observing plants for research
The Forest is a state-owned, 67-acre, mature hardwood forest co-managed through a unique public/private partnership between the Wisconsin DNR Division of Forestry and the Forest Exploration Center (FEC). The forest contains a locally unique mix of large, and old, red and white oak, sugar maple, basswood and an additional sixteen tree species native to the region. The understory contains a rich understory of native flora. Overall, the forest provides diverse habitat for wildlife.


As a research and educational site, the FEC demonstrates and communicates sustainable forest management, forestry education and accessible recreation to an urban audience from the Greater Milwaukee area.

Management Goals

The overall management goal of this site is to conserve, maintain, and restore a hardwood forest and related ecosystems characteristic of southern Wisconsin. 

  • Purpose: This goal emphasizes the importance of protecting native species and ecological functions despite changing climate conditions, while also serving educational, research, and public engagement purposes.

Key Objectives focus on actionable, site-specific targets within defined timeframes:

1. Establish New Age Classes for Oak Forest (timeline: 5-10 years)

  • Purpose: Promote long-term forest resilience by regenerating oak and other desirable native species.
  • Challenge: Current regeneration is limited due to deer browse, dense canopy, and invasive shrubs.

2. Control Invasive Shrubs (timeline: 1-5 years)

  • Purpose: Reduce the competitive impact of invasive species on native tree regeneration.
  • Challenge: Species such as buckthorn and honeysuckle suppress native seedling establishment.

3. Manage Stand Density (timeline: 5-10 years)

  • Purpose: Improve forest structure and promote light availability to support regeneration and reduce vulnerability to stressors.
  • Challenge: Dense, even-aged conditions currently restrict light and diversity in the understory.

Climate Change Impacts

Rising Temperatures: Midwest temperatures are projected to increase by 5.6–9.5°F by 2100, this may increase stress native species and alter habitat conditions.

More Frequent Heat Waves: Increased intensity and frequency of heat waves could heighten tree stress and mortality.

Reduced Cold Snaps: Decreases in cold extremes may allow more insect pests and pathogens to survive winter.

Greater Drought Risk: Higher drought frequency may stress mature trees and hinder regeneration, especially for shallow-rooted species.

Higher Wildfire Risk: Changing conditions may increase fire frequency, especially in small urban forests with limited suppression capacity.

Shifting Precipitation Patterns: Summer rainfall is projected to decline, that may reduce soil moisture and affect tree vigor and seedling success.

Increased Heavy Rain Events: Storm intensity is projected to grow, raising windthrow risk and erosion potential in wetter soils.

Longer Growing Season: Frost-free season may extend by 30 days, influencing species ranges, phenology, and regeneration patterns.

Amplified Forest Stressors: Climate change may worsen impacts from invasives, insects, and diseases already affecting Midwest forests.

Vulnerability of Low-Diversity Stands: FEC’s low tree species diversity (7–9 species) increases its risk under climate stress.

Challenges and Opportunities

Climate change will present challenges and opportunities for accomplishing the management objectives of this project, including:

Challenges

Deer browse is currently limiting recruitment of desirable tree species and natural regeneration and will only intensify in the future.
Non-native shrubs competition is expected to inhibit native tree seedling growth and recruitment.
Dense canopy conditions can restrict light, slow recruitment and growth of target species.
Longer growing seasons that favor invasive species, is expected to complicate vegetation management.
Milder climate conditions may increase success of non-native species establishment and growth.
Winters without frozen ground may hinder equipment access for management operations.
Community resistance to visible treatments like tree cutting or herbicide use may limit management options.

Opportunities

Windthrow events may open the canopy and facilitate regeneration into larger size classes.
Drought may reduce invasive shrub vigor and improve herbicide effectiveness.
Canopy gaps caused by storms or mortality can support regeneration of oak and other native plants.
A warmer climate may increase the effectiveness of certain control measures like herbicides.
Some native and non-native species may find expanded regeneration niches with a longer season.
Canopy disturbances from EAB or other stressors may create structural diversity across the site.
Visual changes may provide new opportunities for interpretive programming and education.

Adaptation Actions

The Forest Exploration Center (FEC) recognizes the importance of sharing an evidence-based approach when implementing climate-smart forestry with all audiences, including professional and private landowners. The management plots demonstrate potential strategies that could be replicated in area forests and used to address locally specific climate driven impacts. A key outcome of this work is to increase visibility and awareness of tangible methods and strategies that can support the resilience of forests across the state of Wisconsin. 

FEC used the Adaptation Workbook to document demonstration project plans and to develop several adaptation actions for this project, including:

Area/Topic
Approach
Tactics
Oak Regeneration
1.4. Reduce competition for moisture, nutrients, and light.
8.2. Favor existing genotypes that are better adapted to future conditions.
Promote regeneration of oak species through selective thinning and release techniques.
Use gap creation and canopy thinning to improve light availability for oak seedlings.
Invasive Shrub Control
2.2. Prevent the introduction and establishment of invasive plant species and remove existing invasive species.
Treat invasive shrubs with herbicide in targeted areas to reduce competition with native seedlings.
Conduct annual monitoring and mechanical/manual removal of new invasives before establishment.
Stand Density Management
5.1. Promote diverse age classes.
Use thinning to develop age-class structure favorable to regeneration and ecosystem resilience.
Structural Complexity
6.1 Enhance age class and structural diversity in forests.
Allow storm-created gaps and natural mortality to diversify structure across the stand.
Forest Composition and Resilience
6.4 Maintain or enhance genetic diversity.
Retain individual trees from diverse seed sources; consider planting from varied provenances.
Monitoring and Flexibility
Track regeneration, invasive cover, and community composition to adjust tactics as needed.

Monitoring

Project participants identified several monitoring items that could help inform future management, including:
Tree Regeneration Success - Monitor number, species, and height of regenerating tree seedlings, with an emphasis on oak and other desired native species.
Invasive Shrub Cover - Track percent cover and extent of invasive shrub species to assess control effectiveness over time.
Understory Vegetation Response - Assess changes in herbaceous and shrub layer composition to evaluate treatment impacts and native recovery.
Deer Browsing Impact - Record evidence of browsing pressure (e.g., on oak seedlings) using exclosures or browse surveys.
Structural Complexity - Evaluate canopy openness and gap creation, especially following disturbance (e.g., storms, EAB mortality).
Tree Mortality and Health -Track survival and condition of overstory trees, especially those affected by Emerald Ash Borer or drought stress.
Public Perception - Use visual assessments or surveys to evaluate public acceptance of forest treatments (e.g., thinning, cutting, herbicide).
Herbicide Effectiveness - Monitor herbicide treatment areas to determine regrowth or eradication of invasive shrubs over time.
Soil and Microclimate Conditions - Observe soil moisture levels, shading, and other site conditions that may influence regeneration or shrub persistence.

Next Steps

The four demonstration areas (FRM Plots: Forest Regeneration Monitoring) have been installed and interpretive exhibits with audio components accompany each plot. Exhibits describe forest vulnerability and risks brought about by a changing climate, how climate smart forestry techniques can be implemented, and include education and outreach explaining forestry observed by the visitor at the site (such as specific trees planted, explanations of techniques like openings in the canopy), and the desired future conditions planned for each area.

The plots include forestry techniques such as: midstory removal that considers the effectiveness of natural regeneration vs assisted plantings for oak success rates; assisted migration implementation where climate adapted species were planted with species containing southern genetic strains; and the creation of northern hardwood gaps to release sugar maple seedlings and saplings while test plotting southern species. Additional educational materials and guided experiences will enhance interpretation of the active management occurring onsite and increase awareness to visitors on the impacts that a changing climate has on local forests. Each plot is monitored several times a year for effectiveness in plantings, with added focus on natural vs supplemental regeneration, and species success rates of climate adapted species.

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Other Related Links

Keywords

Assisted migration
Forest threats
Regeneration

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