Home >> Science & Nature >> Nature

Types of Forest Covers in Pennsylvania

More than two-thirds of Pennsylvania's 28.7 million acres are covered by forests. In the late 1680s, William Penn proclaimed that 5 acres of new trees be planted for every 1 acre of felled trees. Since the 1940s, abandoned farms allowed reforestation and new growth increased forest areas. According to the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, the state contains two types of forests, the terrestrial (hardwood) forest and palustrine (conifer) forest. These contain five types of tree growth.

Oak/Hickory
- Oak and hickory trees dominate nearly half of Pennsylvania's forests.
  
  Nearly 50 percent of the state is covered by stands of chestnut, black and scarlet oaks and hickory tree varieties. Oaks grow on the ridges and hills in most of the south and in northeastern Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River and in the Allegheny River valley. Mixed in with the oaks in drier areas are stands of pignut hickory, black gum, sugar and red maples. In the moist lowlands, northern red oak and white oak are more common.
Northern Hardwoods
- More than 12 species of trees are classified as northern hardwoods.
  
  A variety of hardwood trees cover about 38 percent of the state. Such mixed forests are found in the cooler, moister areas of Pennsylvania. Sugar and red maples, sweet and yellow birch trees, American beech and black cherry trees create most of this canopy. Additional trees, usually found in small groups, include Eastern hemlock, white ash, aspens, white pine and northern red oak. The hickory/oak type of canopy grows alongside hardwoods in certain areas despite cooler weather conditions.
White/Red Pine
- The Eastern white pine has long, soft needles and produces valuable timber.
  
  Approximately 5 percent of the state is covered by a mix of red and Eastern white pine growth. Both types are profitable timber trees growing primarily in the northern region of Pennsylvania. They grow mostly on sloped areas and are native to Luzerne, Wyoming, Centre and Tioga counties. New growth is planted and monitored by the Bureau of Forestry and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Eastern white pines are very tall, growing to more than 100 feet high.
Elm/Ash/Red Maple
- The red maple tree can grow to more than 100 feet tall.
  
  Found throughout Pennsylvania in a diverse variety of habitats, 4 percent of the state is covered by stands of American elms, white ash and red maple trees. The American, or white elm, the largest elm species, grows to more than 115 feet tall. The red maple, also called the soft maple, reaches at least 100 feet, and the white ash tree, used primarily to produce baseball bats, grows to at least 80 feet tall.
Oak/Pine
- The scarlet oak is a dominant canopy tree in higher elevations.
  
  The smallest percentage of forest cover in Pennsylvania, at about 2 percent, is dominated by stands of chestnut, scarlet and black oak, usually found at high elevations of up to 2,200 feet along the Appalachian Mountains and the Pocono Mountains plateau. Eastern white pine, Virginia and pitch pines also grow within the oak stands, along with a very small number of red, mountain and short-leaf pines. The pines account for only about one-third of this forest cover type.

Nature