Iowa's forests 1999-2003 (Part A)

Iowa's landscape is dominated by agriculture, but beyond the fields of corn and soybeans lie 2.7 million acres of hardwood forests owned largely by 138,000 private landowners.Iowa's forests provide critical wildlife habitat, conserve our valuable soils, and protect our streams, rivers, and lakes.Iowa's forests employ over 20,000 Iowans in the wood products industry, providing over $1 billion in annual economic activity.Our forests provide boundless opportunities for outdoor recreation, from hunting and fishing to camping and hiking.What Iowan can resist the brilliance of Iowa's trees in fall color, the fragrance of spring wildflowers in bloom, the shade of a strong maple tree in the summer, or the warmth of wood stove burning native oak during an Iowa winter day?To understand how Iowa's forests are doing, a partnership was established between the Forest Inventory and Analysis program of the USDA Forest Service and the Forestry Bureau of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.Using a systematic and scientific effort, the 1999-2003 report on Iowa's forests was completed.This report indicates that Iowa is gaining forestland, and that our diverse forests of oaks, hickories, maples, and many other species are healthy and growing.But this report also shows that Iowa is losing its valuable oak trees to old age and lack of adequate regeneration as shade tolerant species such as sugar maple, basswood, and ironwood replace our sun-loving oaks.Iowa's forests also face threats from exotic insects on our borders, such as the emerald ash borer and gypsy moth, as well as stiff competition from exotic and invasive plants, such as garlic mustard and bush honeysuckle, that now outcompete the natural regeneration of our native trees and shrubs.The results of this report will be used by the Iowa DNR Forestry Bureau in partnership with many governmental and volunteer organizations to expand sustainable forest management on private and public lands across our state.Current and new private forestland owners hold the key to the future of forests in Iowa.Please use this report to learn about Iowa's forests, to encourage the establishment of new forests, and to improve our current forests to sustain the many benefits our forests provide.