Ecology and Vulnerability

Forest

Forests are the natural land cover in the vast majority of the Northeastern U.S. . Though it is believed that about 90% of the region was once forested, between 60-80% was cleared for agriculture, livestock, fuel, and timber during the colonial period. Today, about 81% of New England is forested. In addition to providing essential habitat for wildlife, forests provide critical ecosystem services such as water filtration, flood and erosion control, and carbon sequestration.

Tree species vary across the region as a function of a diversity of site conditions, seed dispersal methods, competition, and land use history. Tree species grow on sites they are adapted to, such as warm, dry sites or cool sites with deep soils. Northern New England is dominated by Northern hardwoods and spruce-fir forest types, transitioning to Northern hardwoods, transitional hardwoods, and oak-hickory forests in the southern part of the region. Cape Cod also features pitch pine-scrub oak forests. 

Forests not only differ by species, but also by age. Older, mature forests generally store larger amounts of carbon and support more biodiversity than younger ones. However, having a range of ages in forests is important for providing habitat for a variety of species. 

Numerous wildlife species need forest of some kind for at least part of their lives. Many aquatic species depend on forests to keep the water cool and create habitats such as pools. Climate change is expected to impact our varying forest types differently, and understanding the changes that are likely to happen to them will help us better recognize the implications to wildlife species and general ecosystem functioning.