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Forests and People in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Human populations in the Mid-Atlantic region over the last 250 years have increased nearly 100-fold, from an estimated few hundred thousand people to over 30 million people (Mercer and Murthy 2000). Increased population growth usually results in the conversion of forestland to nonforest uses, particularly agriculture, pastureland, and urban development. Not only is the quantity of forestland reduced, but forest habitat quality also suffers as harvesting and forest conversion patterns chop the forest landscape into smaller, more isolated patches of forest—a process referred to as fragmentation.

Citation

Fulton S.; Mercer E.; and Bradley M.P. 2012. Forests and People in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Chapter 1 in Stolte K.W.; Conkling B.L.; Fulton S.; Bradley M.P. (eds.). State of Mid-Atlantic Region Forests in 2000. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-162. Asheville, North Carolina: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. Pages 3-6.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/45599