For your Things That Used to Be Worse and Got Better files: Much of the Eastern U.S. was deforested in the 18th & 19th centuries. European settlers cut down every tree they could reach. Now forests have regrown and eased global warming 🧪 www.scientificamerican.com/article/succ... - ThreadSky

laurahelmuth.bsky.social • 372 days ago

For your Things That Used to Be Worse and Got Better files: Much of the Eastern U.S. was deforested in the 18th & 19th centuries. European settlers cut down every tree they could reach. Now forests have regrown and eased global warming 🧪 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/successful-reforestation-is-keeping-the-eastern-u-s-cooler/

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xxsethxx.bsky.social•371 days ago

salvagni.org•372 days ago

Definitely needed this reminder today. THX 🌲

laurahelmuth.bsky.social•372 days ago

This is what Canaan Valley in Tucker County, WV looked like in 1932. Now it's full of state parks and wildlife reserves, and a brewery in Davis called "Stumptown" because that used to be the town's nickname

erwindekker.bsky.social•371 days ago

Was in Canaan valley for a holiday last year, it's absolutely beautiful for hiking (and skiing in the winter).

erinblakemore.bsky.social•372 days ago

Whoa.

erleellis.bsky.social•371 days ago

To be clear: this was caused by agricultural abandonment, not forest restoration.

shoeflyin.bsky.social•371 days ago

Especially in the south, the entire region was depressed for many decades after the civil war so a lot of land was left vacant (and grew trees). Many crops weren't that profitable either - when I moved to Georgia in the 60s there were cotton fields that weren't even harvested, didnt pay apparently.

thaliatoha.bsky.social•371 days ago

I'm all for cooler forests. Especially in the summers. When things that took hundreds of years to grow get cut down to make some developers' pockets bigger, it really makes me question the humans. I should know, I used to help make these guys' pockets bigger. One of my big regrets.

plungerman.bsky.social•371 days ago

beyond the wall. https://archive.ph/86WKi

geographile.bsky.social•371 days ago

Also!
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/vermont/stories-in-vermont/largest-elm-tree-restoration-in-the-northeast/
https://www.esf.edu/chestnut/index.php

jnxouaquaga.bsky.social•372 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/jnxouaquaga.bsky.social/post/3klf36abm2c2p

danlansdowne.bsky.social•371 days ago

Also the ash borer.

jnxouaquaga.bsky.social•371 days ago

Arguably the ash borer is a result of the climate crisis- it's an umbrella term that covers dozens of factors leading to the die off, there are both direct and indirect effects of warming temps and less predictable seasons.

mx0x20wednesday.bsky.social•372 days ago

there any patches that are faring better? wondering if it's a realignment like the pines that survived the little ice age on the out west that are less adapted for drought conditions

jnxouaquaga.bsky.social•371 days ago

I know that I see the same accelerating signs of death and disease no matter where I go in NYS, PA, CT, and MA

shoeflyin.bsky.social•371 days ago

I'm surrounded by hemlock forest so I understand. Try to treat as much as I can on my property to avoid extreme die off, but it doesnt look good long term. An area that was literally rain forest 50 years ago is now seeing large forest fires 😕

jnxouaquaga.bsky.social•371 days ago

I've been rewilding for about 25yrs, somewhere between 40 and 50 acres of overlogged/clearcut woods total, depending on progress points- I make a point to look at trees/woodlots whenever I travel, and what I see terrifies me- the NE is in trouble.

shoeflyin.bsky.social•371 days ago

It sounds like we need to help tree species migrate north, the climate is changing too quickly for it to happen naturally. Also stop burning fossil fuel yesterday.

rokey.bsky.social•371 days ago

Doing my small part 😊

mx0x20wednesday.bsky.social•372 days ago

still ain't where it needs to be tho

a healthy old growth forest takes hundreds of years to build up but we keep letting the logging companies manage our forests, harvesting what are essentially adolescents

part of why the fires are so bad out west

jnxouaquaga.bsky.social•372 days ago

🎯

Cornell will send out junk mail fliers to advertise their logging program but refuses to respond to any request for rewilding info- ask me how I know.

plesiomorphy.bsky.social•372 days ago

Forests look very different now. All the chestnuts are gone, and invasive earthworms affect the soil and undergrowth

tyrotcm.bsky.social•371 days ago

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