Floodplain Forests are adapted to periodic disturbances and fluctuating soil moisture, so they might be capable of tolerating future changes to the hydrologic cycle. Heavy precipitation events have been increasing in Minnesota, and this trend is expected to continue under climate change. The possibility for warmer and wetter conditions and winter and spring might also leads to more flooding in these seasons. More flood events might not necessarily be harmful to Floodplain Forests, but some systems may be at risk of excessive waterlogging and downcutting of riverbanks. It is also possible that northern Minnesota will experience more droughts and low-flow periods in rivers and streams at the end of the growing season.
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