Forestry

What is the story?

North Carolina boasts 18 million acres of woodlands, about 55% of its land surface (33 million acres). Originally, North Carolina was more continuously wooded from the mountains to the coast. Some Piedmont woodland areas gave way to prairies due to natural causes, such as lightning-induced fires, or man-made ones, such as when early Native American tribes needed to prepare village lands. Native Americans often used also fire to clear land.

North Carolina’s natural mix of trees, with varying species from mountains to coast, is one of the most diverse in the country, with around 250 species. These trees are merely the more visible part of an even greater diversity of plants within these woods.

Did you know?

Did you know that the Joyce Kilmer Forest in Graham County provides an excellent example of an ancient forest?