Appalachian Hemlock Forests

13. Appalachian Hemlock Forests

Several states are home to the Appalachian Hemlock, which is threatened by the woolly adelgid. This forest is in New Hampshire.

In North America, a range of factors threatens the 155 national forests, with at least a dozen being critically endangered (some experts consider the number to be closer to 30). Forests are at risk due to the following factors: pestilence, invading species, human activity and climate change. Human activities such as mining, logging, air and groundwater pollution, noise pollution, deforestation, clear-cutting, the “island effect” and other poor silviculture methods have the greatest impact. (The “island effect” involves breaking up forests into smaller sections, as in the case of Sherwood Forest.)