Most dominant tree species in northern hardwood forests in Michigan are expected to tolerate a mild amount of warming, but many species could deline under a warmer, drier climate by the end of the century.

Models projections are mixed for many common species that make up northern hardwood forests in Michigan. American basswood, American beech, black cherry, eastern white pine, green ash, northern red oak, red maple, and sugar maple are generally projected to increase under mild climate scenarios, but these species are more likely to decrease under hotter, drier conditions. Deciduous forest systems may be more able to increase productivity across a range of climate scenarios than coniferous forest systems. Many of these species are near their northern range limits in Michigan, so they may benefit from gene flow from southern populations.