Climate change effects on native fauna of northeastern forestsThis article is one of a selection of papers from NE Forests 2100: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Forests of the Northeastern US and Eastern Canada

We review the observed and potential effects of climate change on native fauna of forests in northeastern North America by focusing on mammals, birds, amphibians, and insects. Our assessment is placed in the context of recent regional-scale climate projections. Climate change, particularly in recent decades, has affected the distribution and abundance of numerous wildlife species. Warming temperatures, alterations to precipitation regimes, seasonality, and climatic extremes are projected to affect species directly or indirectly in each of the focal taxa. Greatest climate change will occur during winter, and the survival of winter-active species as well as the survival, distribution, and abundance of hibernating mammals, amphibians, resident birds, and diapausing insects may be altered. Even under low emissions scenarios, effects on native fauna may be profound, affecting iconic species, endangered species, and species that provide economically valuable services, such as pollination and regulation of insect populations. However, much research that is essential to assessing the effects of climate change on the native fauna of northeastern forests remains to be done. Research that reveals causal mechanisms and relates these findings to population and community level processes will be most valuable.