Impacts & Adaptation

The potential impact of climate change is one of the great issues of modern time. However adaptation strategies for farmers, foresters and other land users may not necessarily involve radical change.

Many land users already cope successfully with wind, fire and drought. Under different climate scenarios, opportunities could emerge for different tree species or enhanced growth potential.

Scion scientists are developing the knowledge to enable people to manage for future events.

Using our modelling capability, we can predict changes in productivity, pest and disease distribution, and other risks such as floods and erosion.

Impacts on the eco-system benefits provided by indigenous and planted forests can also be predicted. 

Key capabilities:

• Site and species selection for plantations
• Forecasting carbon sink change in forests
• Modelling other environmental benefits of forests
• Soil science
• Economics
• Climate change impacts, including fire, wind, and biosecurity risks 
• Spatial and temporal modelling

National focus

Work carried out by Scion for MAF under the Sustainable Land Management & Climate Change (SLMACC) programme is helping to prepare New Zealand for likely changing conditions.

International focus

Scion has contributed its scientific expertise to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on greenhouse gas issues. Dr Peter Beets’ contribution to international efforts aimed at building global understanding of human-induced global warming has been recognised with a certificate from the IPCC acknowledging his contribution to its Nobel Peace Prize winning work. Dr Beets is providing expert knowledge on forestry carbon stocks and land use change to the IPCC.