Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP)

Natural Systems Although not formally accounted for in Ashland’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory, natural ecosystems such as forests and wetlands capture and store carbon, acting as a greenhouse gas “sink.”Proper ecosystem management optimizes this process of carbon sequestration and minimizes the potential risk of greenhouse gas emissions from wildfires. The 2016 Ashland Forest Plan puts forth forest management objectives that take into account the important role of forests in a changing climate. Some relevant objectives from the plan include: • Reducing the likelihood of high-severity fire through strategically placed fuels treatments and subsequent implementation of prescribed underburning to maintain reduced fuels and less fire-prone conditions; • Managing for both growth and maintenance of older forests that may sequester and retain large amounts of carbon over time; • Focusing on protection and restoration of diverse forest structures, plant communities and associated genetic resources which are important mechanisms of resilience; • Emphasizing multiple tree species management including species well selected to thrive in future warmer and drier conditions such as pines, hardwoods and shrub species (within prescribed spatial considerations for their potential to aggravate fire potential and hazard); and • Monitoring and control of invasive plant species that are prone to establishment and/or expansion in changing climates. Many of Ashland’s natural systems and surrounding natural areas will be harmed by climate change, threatening the ecosystem services they provide such as water filtration, flood abatement, pollination, recreation, and fire protection. Importantly, the effects of climate change on natural systems are interrelated and may compound each other; for example, more frequent and severe droughts will increase the risk of wildfires. Changes in temperature, snowpack, and the abundance of diseases and pests will stress sensitive and high-elevation plants, wildlife, and ecosystems such as the northern spotted owl, anadromous fish populations, and mid-elevation coniferous forests.1 Other stressors, such as habitat loss and pollution, exacerbate this risk by minimizing habitat connectivity and aggravating existing sensitivities. Climate change may also benefit some species and ecosystems. For example, a species whose pathogens are sensitive to drought may experience reduced pathogen risk. However, these rarer cases are not are not the focus of this plan. 7 Source: Geos Institute (2016). 82 ASHLAND CLIMATE & ENERGY ACTION PLANNATURAL SYSTEMS82