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1 April 2006 Revisiting the Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America
JAMES M. DYER
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Abstract

Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America, written by E. Lucy Braun and published in 1950, included a map depicting “original” (virgin) forest pattern. Her classification of forest regions remains an influential reference, though it was shaped by ecological assumptions that researchers consider outdated today. In this article, I present a new map of forest regions, using a data set from an extensive network of contemporary forest plots. Although there are differences between the two maps, including the homogenization of forests in the central section of the deciduous forest formation, the geography of Braun's forest regions is largely maintained. The similarities between the maps are noteworthy, considering the methodological differences in their creation and the intensive land use changes, fire suppression, introduction of exotic species, and changes in atmospheric chemistry that have occurred since Braun's work.

JAMES M. DYER "Revisiting the Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America," BioScience 56(4), 341-352, (1 April 2006). https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2006)56[341:RTDFOE]2.0.CO;2
Published: 1 April 2006
JOURNAL ARTICLE
12 PAGES

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KEYWORDS
cluster analysis
E. Lucy Braun
eastern deciduous forest
forest regions
Vegetation mapping
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