For Tree Thursday – great historical maps of the North America! Gene
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These tree maps, commissioned by the United States Census and published in 1884, were compiled at the direction of dendrologist and horticulturist Charles Sprague Sargent. The complete set of 16 maps, digitized by the David Rumsey Map Collection, represents American forests by genus of tree, density, and position. The USDA estimates that while the total area of forested land in the United States has diminished by 30 percent since the date of European settlement in 1630, “75 percent of net conversion to other uses occurred in the nineteenth century.” Sargent’s project was meant to capture the contours of the forest as it stood in the Victorian era.
For the rest of the article and a view of some of the maps go to: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_vault/2015/01/09/history_of_american_forests_tree_maps_made_for_1884_census.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_tw_ru
Click on the maps to enlarge them. Very cool information!
