A century of change in the southern Appalachians

Photo Credit

Photo by Adam Warwick of the Nature Conservancy

Fire-managed forest in the southern Appalachians.

Fire-managed forests of the past provide an alternative option for management of Appalachian forests.

Historically, fire-tolerant oaks and American chestnut were dominant species, at about 62 percent of all trees, in the southern Appalachians. Evidence of surface fire was present in 80 percent of the study extent. 

One century later, oaks have decreased to 27 percent of all trees and chestnut is no longer functionally present, due to chestnut blight. This finding is unique for the southern Appalachians.