Forests in the Nation’s most densely forested and most densely populated region will change radically in the next 50 years, primarily because of the way they are managed – or not managed – today, according to a new report by a team of USDA Forest Service scientists and partners.
Released this week by the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station, Future Forests of the Northern United States is an analysis of future forest change in the 20 states stretching from Maine to Minnesota and from Missouri to Maryland. Scientists analyzed the ramifications of land-use change, economic change, greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, forest growth, forest harvest, invasive species, and other factors from ecological, social, and economic perspectives. The report provides critical information to guide forest owners, managers, planners, and policymakers concerned with sustaining forests and forest-associated resources for the well-being of the 124 million people in the region and the additional 32 million expected by 2060.
