Assessment of Forest Vulnerabilities in Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuaries

The forests in Mass Audubon’s care are under threat from the interacting effects of climate change, pests and diseases, intensive browsing by high deer populations, and invasion by non-native plant species. This report provides a comprehensive assessment of these threats at the forest stand level for the 34 wildlife sanctuaries comprising Mass Audubon’s Central and Western Regions, including over 19,000 acres of forests, wetlands, and fields. A combination of field-based survey and geospatial data modeling and analysis informs the assessment.