Farther from the forest: 'Eye-opening' study shows rural US loses forests faster than cities

[NickB79]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170222150300.htm

"Our study analyzed geographic distribution of forest losses across the continental U.S. While we focused on forests, the implications of our results go beyond forestry," Mountrakis said.

The study overturned conventional wisdom about forest loss, the researcher noted. The amount of forest attrition -- the complete removal of forest patches -- is considerably higher in rural areas and in public lands. "The public perceives the urbanized and private lands as more vulnerable," said Mountrakis, "but that's not what our study showed. Rural areas are at a higher risk of losing these forested patches.

I've watched a lot of wooded land in my rural area get cleared for more corn and soy in the past decade. I have yet to see anyone planting new trees, or letting it go fallow.

[marybourg]

1. Doesn't seem eye-opening to me.

Housing and commercial property is being built in formerly rural places and has been ever since the end of WWII. How much forest is left in urbanized areas to be lost in recent years, except in protected parks?

I know there are areas of re-forestation in the Northeast, but the writers are not comparing de-forestation to re-forestation, but rural de-forestation to urban de-forestation. Seems to me that ship sailed 70 years ago

[d_r]

2. I don't see

logging trucks coming out of the city

[williesgirl]

3. I live on the mountains in VA about an hour or so from DC.

I see logging trucks all the time coming off these mountains. It makes me sick and mad.