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Our Mission

The Northern Global Change Program develops a sound scientific basis for making regional, national, and international resource management and policy decisions in response to climate change, air pollution, and other threats to forests and watersheds.

Research

We have three broad areas of research:

1. Climate change impacts: Understand and project the effects of climate change and air pollution on forests and river basins of the Northeastern and North Central United States, and develop policy and management options for minimizing impacts on societal benefits of forests.
2. The carbon cycle: Estimate how much CO₂ is taken up and released by northern and U.S. forests; evaluate how this may change in the future as a consequence of climate change, forest management, and natural disturbances; and develop policy and management options for increasing the role of forests as carbon sinks.
3. Fire and atmospheric science: Conduct multi-disciplinary fire and atmospheric science research to provide fire and forest managers with better tools for predicting fire danger, fire risk, air quality, and to quantify ecosystem functioning under changing environmental conditions.

More Information

This site is under development as the Forest Service brings together the Northeastern and North Central Research Stations to form the Northern Research Station, serving the Northeast and Midwest. Check back often as we expand our site to reflect our combined commitment to supporting the natural resources and people of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States.

For more details about our research visit http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/global/