Climate change is expected to have widespread and unpredictable effects to the forest ecosystems on which we depend. The U.S Forest Service manages almost 80 million hectares with a mission of sustaining the health, diversity, and productivity of the National Forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Given the uncertainty of climate change effects and interactions, the Forest Service will need to be anticipatory, responsive, flexible, and nimble. This paper draws upon foundational systems thinking to inform a framework for sustainable forest management on National Forest System lands in the United States.
Keywords: climate change adaptive management, ecosystems, complexity, U.S. Forest Service
