More than just a forest: Our surprisingly diverse eastern ecosystems

About this episode

This episode explores the diverse ecosystems of the eastern U.S. prior to European settlement, challenging the notion that it was solely old growth forest.

Summary The general impression that many people have is that prior to European settlement the whole eastern U.S. was one giant old growth forest. But that wasn't the case. Using an interdisciplinary approach, researchers over the last several decades have discovered that the eastern U.S. was instead interspersed with a surprising number of diverse ecosystems – only one of which was old growth forest. 3 things you'll learn from this episode: What researchers now think the eastern U.S. looked like 400 years or more ago. Why we have so many trees now and why it's so easy to believe that everything was once forest. Why all of this matters and what we should do about it. Additional Resources: Forgotten Grasslands of the South: Natural History and Conservation * 2013 Harvard University - Smithsonian study 2025 State of the Birds Report * affiliate link – We receive a small commission for purchases made through these links, but it comes at no extra cost to you. All commissions that we receive through these links goes toward producing Backyard Ecology content. We appreciate your support. Backyard Ecology™ resources: The Backyard Ecologist's Newsletter Backyard Ecology™ Community Thank…

People in this episode

Host: Shannon Trimboli

Topics covered

• eastern U.S. ecosystems
• old growth forest
• biodiversity
• historical ecology
• conservation

Keywords

• eastern U.S.
• ecosystems
• old growth forest
• biodiversity
• historical ecology
• conservation
• grasslands

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard University, Smithsonian, Backyard Ecology

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