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












3














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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    3














    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.























      3












      3








      3







      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.
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      asked 3 hours ago









      Jishin NobenJishin Noben

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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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      New contributor





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






















          1 Answer
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          3














          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
            28 mins ago



















          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes








          1 Answer
          1






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes









          3














          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
            28 mins ago
















          3














          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
            28 mins ago














          3












          3








          3






          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 1 hour 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
            28 mins 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
            28 mins 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
          28 mins 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
          28 mins ago



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