Document Type

Research

Keywords

Woodland, Woodlot, Iowa Forests, Forest Inventory, Natural Resources

Abstract

The woodlands of Iowa have declined in area and public esteem. Iowa, at the time of settlement, was 19% forested. New immigrants and potential settlers east of the Mississippi River considered Iowa's woodlands as essential to homesteading and paid premium prices for wooded property. By 1875 forest acreage was reduced from 6.7 million acres to 2.5 million acres (2.7 million to 1.01 million hectares). This acreage apparently did not change appreciably until the 1950's. In the last twenty years to the present forest area has been reduced another million acres to 4% of Iowa's land area. The current rate of removal of woodland is most severe in the least forested counties. The changes in public opinion respective to woodlands are discussed and present problems and future perspectives defined.

Publication Date

March 1981

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

Issue

First Page

Last Page

Copyright

Language

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Thomson, George W. and Hertel, H. Gene (1981) "The Forest Resources of Iowa in 1980," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 88(1), 2-6.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol88/iss1/4

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The Forest Resources of Iowa in 1980

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