| Citation |
Nelson, Harry, Ken Day, Stewart Cohen, Dan Moore, Ngaio Hotte (2012) Adapting to Climate Change in the San Jose Watershed, Department of Forest Resources Management, University of British Columbia. |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
One of the key issues facing local communities, decision-makers, resource managers and practitioners is how climate change will impact the landscapes in which they live. This project investigated potential impacts of climate change on forest resources and hydrology in the San Jose watershed, located in the Central Interior of British Columbia, through modeling and collaboration with local stakeholders and researchers. The research team used a series of models to develop future scenarios and project impacts within a landscape that is already facing stresses related to water availability and forest disturbance. This information will help answer questions posed by local stakeholders about future climate, forest and hydrological conditions within the watershed. Under a high climate change scenario, we found that timber harvest volumes and annual growth rates for most forest species and stands will be lower, with escalating impacts over the next 100 years as some forest stands show signs of mortality and many new stands have difficulty becoming established. With respect to water, the models showed that annual yields are likely to decrease and that the timing of flows will also shift, with less water available in the San Jose River during the Spring and Summer months. This will alter when and where water is available for municipal, agricultural, industrial and recreational users in the watershed. Beyond identifying potential impacts, the research also provides a basis for stakeholders to move forward on adaptation by creating a shared understanding of how the watershed functions. The information generated during this study can be used by water users, planners, engineers and decision-makers to integrate climate change into regional and municipal planning and development. Perhaps most importantly, this study has helped stakeholders to establish a common interest in managing the landscape. We demonstrate some of the opportunities for using the information to help catalyze a broader watershed management plan that takes climate change into account, while building on some ongoing processes and actions to improve the adaptive capacity of the system. |
