Deforestation in Tennessee
Not long ago, a Tennessee forest was almost destroyed. Rare old trees fill the forest. Some of the trees tower more than 120 feet high. Birds and other animals live in the trees. The forest of old trees stands on 35 acres of land in Bon Aqua Woods in middle Tennessee.
The owner of the property planned to chop down the trees to develop the land. A businessman named John Noel had fallen in love with the forest. He wanted to protect it, so he bought the land. Then, the state of Tennessee bought it from him to open the forest to the public as a state natural area.
Tennessee Timber
John Noel saved the ancient trees in Bon Aqua Woods, but not all of Tennessee forests can avoid the chain saw. The South harvests more timber than any other region in the country. Tennessee contributes to that record. According to the University of Tennessee, timber companies harvest trees from 235,000 acres of Tennessee forests each year. In the decade between 1989 and 1999, timber companies cut more than 2 million acres of native Tennessee forests.
Yet, timber companies cut fewer trees today than in the past. Timber harvest in the state peaked between 1880 and 1920. Today, property owners and the state preserve more forests.
Tennessee's native forests contain a diverse plant population. In other words, they have a mix of many different kinds of plants and trees living in them. Tennessee has more tree species than all of Europe!
Tree Plantations
When timber companies cut trees, they often replant new trees. New tree plantations, though, differ from native woodlands. Tennessee's native forests might contain a mixture of many kinds of trees, such as white oaks, red oaks, yellow poplars, tupelo, cypress, and hickory trees. Timber plantations, on the other hand, often include nothing but pine trees that stretch for miles.
Pine trees supply pulp to make paper products, one of Tennessee's most important manufacturing goods. However, pine plantations don't offer welcoming habitats for some wildlife. For example, compared to native forests, only half as many species of songbirds nest in pine plantations.
The Need for Trees
Tennessee needs trees and forest habitats. Trees prevent erosion of soil into streams and rivers, protecting Tennessee's waterways. Turning native forest into pine plantations could decrease the amount of water available for towns. Forests provide habitats for native wildlife that would be endangered by the loss of native trees.
Tennessee also needs tourism. The state's forests attract visitors to the state. More than 5 million people visit Tennessee's forests each year to hike or camp. The visitors to Tennessee forests add more than $3 billion per year to local economies.
While trees, forest wildlife, and tourism remain important to Tennessee, so does the timber industry. Many people in the state have jobs cutting and processing trees, making wooden furniture, and making paper.
Deforestation threatens places all over the world, from the tropical rain forests of the Amazon to the temperate forests of Tennessee. There are several reasons why forests are important to preserve—for wildlife, for tourists, and for jobs. Tennessee, like many other states and countries, must work to protect both jobs and forests.