Is only 4% of original forest left in the US?












4














The 2009 video The Story of Stuff makes several rather incredible claims. For example:




Where I live, in the United States, we have less than 4% of our original forests left.




My gut feeling tells me to be skeptical about this number. Is it correct?










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Jishin Noben is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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  • We have 0% in Sweden, a nation basically covered in forest.
    – pipe
    32 secs ago
















4














The 2009 video The Story of Stuff makes several rather incredible claims. For example:




Where I live, in the United States, we have less than 4% of our original forests left.




My gut feeling tells me to be skeptical about this number. Is it correct?










share|improve this question









New contributor




Jishin Noben is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.




















  • We have 0% in Sweden, a nation basically covered in forest.
    – pipe
    32 secs ago














4












4








4







The 2009 video The Story of Stuff makes several rather incredible claims. For example:




Where I live, in the United States, we have less than 4% of our original forests left.




My gut feeling tells me to be skeptical about this number. Is it correct?










share|improve this question









New contributor




Jishin Noben is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











The 2009 video The Story of Stuff makes several rather incredible claims. For example:




Where I live, in the United States, we have less than 4% of our original forests left.




My gut feeling tells me to be skeptical about this number. Is it correct?







united-states environment






share|improve this question









New contributor




Jishin Noben is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




Jishin Noben is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 2 hours ago









Oddthinking

99.9k31415524




99.9k31415524






New contributor




Jishin Noben is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









asked 4 hours ago









Jishin NobenJishin Noben

212




212




New contributor




Jishin Noben is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





Jishin Noben is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






Jishin Noben is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












  • We have 0% in Sweden, a nation basically covered in forest.
    – pipe
    32 secs ago


















  • We have 0% in Sweden, a nation basically covered in forest.
    – pipe
    32 secs ago
















We have 0% in Sweden, a nation basically covered in forest.
– pipe
32 secs ago




We have 0% in Sweden, a nation basically covered in forest.
– pipe
32 secs ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















4














Yes, this figure is consistent with estimates from 20 years ago.



The 1995 paper Endangered Ecosystems of the United States:
A Preliminary Assessment of Loss and Degradation collates some relevant estimates from the literature in Appendix A.




50 United States



85% of original primary (virgin) forest destroyed by late 1980's (Postel and Ryan 1991).



90% loss of ancient (old-growth) forests (World Resources Institute 1992).



[...]



48 Conterminous States



ca. 95-98% of virgin forests destroyed by 1990 (estimated from map in Findley 1990 and
commonly estimated by other authors, e.g., Postel and Ryan 1991).



99% loss of primary (virgin) eastern deciduous forest (Allen and Jackson 1992).




It goes on to break the USA down into smaller regions, and cites consistent statistics for those - e.g.:




>99% loss of virgin or old-growth forests in New Hampshire (D. D. Sperduto, New
Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, Natural Heritage
Inventory, Concord, N.H., personal communication).




This shows it is more than one or two papers making these nationwide estimates - they are shored up by several ecologists who have reached similar conclusions in different regions.






share|improve this answer

















  • 1




    Our etymology-loving friends assure me that "conterminous" and "coterminous" are both correct even though the spelling quoted here looks wrong to my eyes.
    – Oddthinking
    1 hour ago



















1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









4














Yes, this figure is consistent with estimates from 20 years ago.



The 1995 paper Endangered Ecosystems of the United States:
A Preliminary Assessment of Loss and Degradation collates some relevant estimates from the literature in Appendix A.




50 United States



85% of original primary (virgin) forest destroyed by late 1980's (Postel and Ryan 1991).



90% loss of ancient (old-growth) forests (World Resources Institute 1992).



[...]



48 Conterminous States



ca. 95-98% of virgin forests destroyed by 1990 (estimated from map in Findley 1990 and
commonly estimated by other authors, e.g., Postel and Ryan 1991).



99% loss of primary (virgin) eastern deciduous forest (Allen and Jackson 1992).




It goes on to break the USA down into smaller regions, and cites consistent statistics for those - e.g.:




>99% loss of virgin or old-growth forests in New Hampshire (D. D. Sperduto, New
Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, Natural Heritage
Inventory, Concord, N.H., personal communication).




This shows it is more than one or two papers making these nationwide estimates - they are shored up by several ecologists who have reached similar conclusions in different regions.






share|improve this answer

















  • 1




    Our etymology-loving friends assure me that "conterminous" and "coterminous" are both correct even though the spelling quoted here looks wrong to my eyes.
    – Oddthinking
    1 hour ago
















4














Yes, this figure is consistent with estimates from 20 years ago.



The 1995 paper Endangered Ecosystems of the United States:
A Preliminary Assessment of Loss and Degradation collates some relevant estimates from the literature in Appendix A.




50 United States



85% of original primary (virgin) forest destroyed by late 1980's (Postel and Ryan 1991).



90% loss of ancient (old-growth) forests (World Resources Institute 1992).



[...]



48 Conterminous States



ca. 95-98% of virgin forests destroyed by 1990 (estimated from map in Findley 1990 and
commonly estimated by other authors, e.g., Postel and Ryan 1991).



99% loss of primary (virgin) eastern deciduous forest (Allen and Jackson 1992).




It goes on to break the USA down into smaller regions, and cites consistent statistics for those - e.g.:




>99% loss of virgin or old-growth forests in New Hampshire (D. D. Sperduto, New
Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, Natural Heritage
Inventory, Concord, N.H., personal communication).




This shows it is more than one or two papers making these nationwide estimates - they are shored up by several ecologists who have reached similar conclusions in different regions.






share|improve this answer

















  • 1




    Our etymology-loving friends assure me that "conterminous" and "coterminous" are both correct even though the spelling quoted here looks wrong to my eyes.
    – Oddthinking
    1 hour ago














4












4








4






Yes, this figure is consistent with estimates from 20 years ago.



The 1995 paper Endangered Ecosystems of the United States:
A Preliminary Assessment of Loss and Degradation collates some relevant estimates from the literature in Appendix A.




50 United States



85% of original primary (virgin) forest destroyed by late 1980's (Postel and Ryan 1991).



90% loss of ancient (old-growth) forests (World Resources Institute 1992).



[...]



48 Conterminous States



ca. 95-98% of virgin forests destroyed by 1990 (estimated from map in Findley 1990 and
commonly estimated by other authors, e.g., Postel and Ryan 1991).



99% loss of primary (virgin) eastern deciduous forest (Allen and Jackson 1992).




It goes on to break the USA down into smaller regions, and cites consistent statistics for those - e.g.:




>99% loss of virgin or old-growth forests in New Hampshire (D. D. Sperduto, New
Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, Natural Heritage
Inventory, Concord, N.H., personal communication).




This shows it is more than one or two papers making these nationwide estimates - they are shored up by several ecologists who have reached similar conclusions in different regions.






share|improve this answer












Yes, this figure is consistent with estimates from 20 years ago.



The 1995 paper Endangered Ecosystems of the United States:
A Preliminary Assessment of Loss and Degradation collates some relevant estimates from the literature in Appendix A.




50 United States



85% of original primary (virgin) forest destroyed by late 1980's (Postel and Ryan 1991).



90% loss of ancient (old-growth) forests (World Resources Institute 1992).



[...]



48 Conterminous States



ca. 95-98% of virgin forests destroyed by 1990 (estimated from map in Findley 1990 and
commonly estimated by other authors, e.g., Postel and Ryan 1991).



99% loss of primary (virgin) eastern deciduous forest (Allen and Jackson 1992).




It goes on to break the USA down into smaller regions, and cites consistent statistics for those - e.g.:




>99% loss of virgin or old-growth forests in New Hampshire (D. D. Sperduto, New
Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, Natural Heritage
Inventory, Concord, N.H., personal communication).




This shows it is more than one or two papers making these nationwide estimates - they are shored up by several ecologists who have reached similar conclusions in different regions.







share|improve this answer












share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer










answered 2 hours ago









OddthinkingOddthinking

99.9k31415524




99.9k31415524








  • 1




    Our etymology-loving friends assure me that "conterminous" and "coterminous" are both correct even though the spelling quoted here looks wrong to my eyes.
    – Oddthinking
    1 hour ago














  • 1




    Our etymology-loving friends assure me that "conterminous" and "coterminous" are both correct even though the spelling quoted here looks wrong to my eyes.
    – Oddthinking
    1 hour ago








1




1




Our etymology-loving friends assure me that "conterminous" and "coterminous" are both correct even though the spelling quoted here looks wrong to my eyes.
– Oddthinking
1 hour ago




Our etymology-loving friends assure me that "conterminous" and "coterminous" are both correct even though the spelling quoted here looks wrong to my eyes.
– Oddthinking
1 hour ago



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