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Sustainable Resources institute

Climate Change Challenge: direct effects on species

Grant Award: $140,000; Year Awarded: 2014

Scrub oak forests in Florence County, Wisconsin have experienced 90% mortality due to a combination of drought and other stressors, which Scrub oak forests in Florence County, Wisconsin have experienced 90% mortality due to a combination of drought and other stressors, which are expected to intensify in the future. Adaptation strategies to prepare for these impacts include soil amendment with wood ash and biochar to improve the ability of the forest to tolerate increased drought stress, particularly in sandy soils with low water-holding capacity. Sustainable Resources Institute, will restore nearly 400 acres of former scrub oak forest, providing the first ever demonstration of wood-based soil amendments in a forested ecosystem in the region.