Aspen Center for Environmental Studies: Forest Health Index

ACES 2014 OFOREST 4HEALTH ÕINDEX Aspen Center for Environmental Studies In this new era of climate change, the health of our forests and the impact it has on society as a whole is more important than ever. The ACES Forest Health Index is a web-based interactive data portal that provides a comparative analysis of current and past conditions of the Roaring Fork Valley forests based on four universally accepted goals of environmental health: ECOLOGICAL PUBLIC HEALTH & ECOSYSTEM SUSTAINABLE USE INTEGRITY SAFETY SERVICES & MANAGEMENT INDICATORS INDICATORS INDICATORS INDICATORS Forest Productivity Fire Incidence & Extent High Elevation Snowpack Wilderness Use Fire Rotation Critical Fire Risk Insect & Disease Infestation Elk Harvest Management Frost Free Days Extreme High Temperatures Air Quality Air Quality Aspen Precipitation High Elevation Snowpack Aspen Precipitation Critical Fire Risk Drought Stress Insect & Disease Infestation Macroinvertebrate Health Extreme High Temperatures Elk Population Health Air Quality Frost Free Days Population Capacity High Elevation Snowpack Streamflow At Peak Fire Incidence & Extent Streamflow at Peak Extreme High Temperatures High Elevation Snowpack Insect & Disease Infestation Extreme Low Temperatures Air Quality Timing of Peak Runoff Extreme High Temperatures Extreme Low Temperatures Macroinvertebrate Health Timing of Peak Runoff By striving to achieve the environmental goals set forth in the ACES Forest Health Index communities can help to reduce a variety of ecological disturbances, such as the ones currently facing the Roaring Fork Valley. INSECT & DISEASE INFESTATION IMPACT OF WILDFIRES IN COLORADO 2012 15.1 ACRES OF MILLION COLORADO 648 4,167 FOREST IMPACTED BY INSECT AND $538 million Property Damage Wildfires Structures Six 384,803 in Colorado Destroyed People Killed Acres DISEASE INFESTATION SINCE 1996 Burned ROARING FORK WATERSHED FOREST POPULATION IN THE ROARING FORK VALLEY 25000 20000 15000 Mining First Chair Boom Lift The Quiet 10000 Years ATMOSPHERIC CARBON ABSORBED 2.7 MILLION TONS OVER THE PAST DECADE 281,966 TONS ATMOSPHERIC CARBON ABSORBED 5000 IN AN AVERAGE YEAR 224,814 TONS ATMOSPHERIC CARBON ABSORBED IN A DROUGHT YEAR 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 For more information about the Forest Health Index visit www.foresthealthindex.org To learn more about the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies visit www.aspennature.org