Title: The forests of Southern New England, 2012
Author: Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Domke, Grant M.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; Lister, Tonya W.; Miles, Patrick D.; Morin, Randall S.; Piva, Ronald J.; Riemann, Rachel; Woodall, Christopher W.;
Source: Resource Bulletin NRS-97. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 42 p. [DVD included].
Publication Series: Resource Bulletin (RB)
Description: This report summarizes the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) forest inventory data, collected from 2008 to 2012, for Southern New England, defined as Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Forests cover an estimated 5,128,000 acres or 59 percent of Southern New England—1,736,000 acres in Connecticut (56 percent of the State), 3,028,000 acres in Massachusetts (61 percent), and 364,000 acres in Rhode Island (55 percent). There was no substantial change in the area of forest land between the current, 2012, and the previous, 2007, FIA inventories. Nearly two-thirds of the forests of the region are privately owned and most of these forests are owned by families and individuals who own the land primarily for the amenity values their forests provide. Seventy-six species of trees were observed on the FIA inventory plots. Red maple is the most common species across the region, but eastern white pine, northern red oak, black oak, eastern hemlock, scarlet oak, and sweet birch are also common. Although the forests of the region are fairly healthy, there are several issues that are threatening them, including invasive plants and introduced pests. Also, human disturbances, such as development, are projected to have a substantial impact on the region and broad-scale natural disturbance, such as hurricanes, are other potential factors that will influence the future of the forests.
Keywords: inventory, forest statistics, forest land, land use, ownership, volume, biomass, carbon, growth, removals, mortality, forest health
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Butler, Brett J.; Crocker, Susan J.; Domke, Grant M.; Kurtz, Cassandra M.; Lister, Tonya W.; Miles, Patrick D.; Morin, Randall S.; Piva, Ron J.; Riemann, Rachel; Woodall, Christopher W. 2015. The forests of Southern New England, 2012. Resource Bulletin NRS-97. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 42 p. [DVD included].
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