Climate change is profoundly affecting forests throughout the Southwest. Tribal nations are at particular risk to these effects due to their reliance on ecosystem services provided by healthy forests. Tasked with managing over 5 million acres of forests and woodlands, the Navajo Forestry Department has identified the need to assess sensitivities of their forests to drought and climate change. This project involves University of Arizona researchers working with Navajo Forestry Department foresters to quantify the climatic drivers of forest growth in the Chuska Mountains. The study will provide an improved assessment of forest response to climate change that is vital to natural resource planning and management.
This project was partially funded by the Climate and Society Fellows program.