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Forest composition change in the eastern United States

September 14, 2011

Forest composition change in the eastern United States
Source: U.S. Forest Service

Forest ecosystems in the eastern United States are believed to be experiencing a species composition change, but most evidence is anecdotal or localized. We used U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data to quantify the annual changes of three common genera: Acer (maple), carya (hickory), and Quercus (oak) with survey periods between 8 and 20 years across the eastern United States. The majority of the region had an increase in maple abundance. At the same time, hickories and oaks had a near universal decrease in the Central Hardwood region.

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