Forces That Shaped the Forests of the Northeastern United States

Abstract

Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory and a sterner sense of justice than we do. -Wendell Berry. Abstract - The Northeast includes three major forest regions-central hardwoods, hemlock-white pine northern hardwoods and spruce-fir. During the Indian period the oak dominated forests of southern New England were subjected to periodic fires creating open-park-like stands. Periodic hurricanes have also had a dramatic impact on forest development. With the arrival of Colonials, forests were cleared for agriculture and subsequently abandoned reverting to forest land again. Intro- duction of the chestnut blight, gypsy moth and hemlock woolly adelgid have had a major impact on certain tree species. Recently forest fragmentation and air pollution especially ozone and acid precipitation are having dramatic or subtle impacts in certain forested regions. Locally exotics are also adversely affecting forest composition. Future forestry practices are also of concern especially in the northern forest region. Although these forests are in a constant state of flux they warrant continued protection as a renewable natural resource.