Lowland and riparian hardwood forests may be vulnerable to future changes in hydrology.

Submitted by sdhandler on

Climate change has the potential to alter the hydrologic regimes in riparian systems and lowlands across the Upper Midwest. These hardwood forests are particularly adapted to annual and seasonal fluxes in water tables, and the regeneration requirements of several species within this forest type are linked to these cycles. Shifts in the timing or amount of precipitation could disrupt the function of these forests. Groundwater-fed systems may also have some additional resilience where cooler, wetter soil conditions are maintained over time.