The climate has changed
Precipita?on has also increased across the region on
average. Across the en?re area, increases were greatest
in the summer. Much of these summer increases have
been from heavy storm events.
Over the past century, the Chicago Wilderness region
has warmed by about 1°F on average. Summer
minimum temperatures increased by 2.5 °F (1.4 °C) on
average across the region. Changes in summer
maximum temperatures differed geographically, with
increases around Chicago and several other areas
directly adjacent to Lake Michigan and decreases in the
far southern part of the region, away from the lake.
The urban forest of the Chicago
Wilderness region can be viewed as
two separate but interconnected
en??es: natural areas and
developed sites. These areas are
managed and maintained in vastly
different ways and by different
stakeholder groups.
As part of the Urban Forestry Climate Change Response Framework Chicago Wilderness pilot, more than 20 scien?sts
and urban forestry professionals collaborated to assess the vulnerability of the region's forest to the likely range of
climate change. Learn more other project ac?vi?es at:
www.forestadapta2on.org/urban
The Chicago Wilderness Region is
getting warmer and wetter, with
more intense precipitation events.
Urban forests will experience local climate
change impacts in the coming decades.
A key step to understanding the potential
impacts of climate change on the urban forest
is to conduct vulnerability assessments.
SUMMARY AND HIGHLIGHTS
Chicago Wilderness Region
Urban Forest Vulnerability Assessment and Synthesis
