Lost and Found: What historical records reveal about forest management

Historical records show that over a century ago, fire-tolerant oaks dominated more than half of the forests across Kentucky and the southern Appalachian Mountains. Today, they account for barely a fifth. Species that historically occupied the margins, including red maple, eastern redcedar, and yellow poplar, have moved to the center. Ecologically, the shift happened relatively fast. Understanding why, and what it means for management, is aided by going back to the forest composition assessments produced by the U.S. Geological Survey and Forest Service surveyors in the early 1900s, before fire exclusion and industrial timber harvesting transformed the landscape. Music courtesy of Souvenir Thread. Read the Science You Can Use and access the related content on Treesearch.