Forests

Forest Pharmacy

Dave Anderson — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

The Chairman of the Society of Forest Medicine at Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, Japan Dr. Qing Li, studies nature’s effect on the human immune system. A person’s natural immune cells called “NK cells” can be reliably measured in a lab. NK cells function like white blood cells to increase resistance to illness including cancer by sending self-destruct messages to tumors and virus-infected cells. Stress, aging and pesticides reduce NK counts.

The Fate of New Hampshire's Forests

Laura Knoy — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

New Hampshire is the second most forested state in the country, but according to our guest today, UNH Professor and Ecologist, Scott Olinger, our forests face serious challenges from climate change to invasive species. Today on the Exchange, we're looking at what's happening to our trees, what cane be done to protect them and the environmental significance of our forests.

Guest

Forest vs. Tree Cover

Dave Anderson — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 05:00:00 +0000

We were all duped by media reports this summer that NH had exceeded Maine for the highest percentage of forest cover in the US. Apparently, we're just not "seeing the forest for the trees."

A classic “apples to oranges” comparison reported New Hampshire’s “89% tree cover” now qualifies us as the “most-forested” state in the nation.

FACT #1: A USDA Northern Forest Research and Syracuse University study determined NH tree cover is 89% - and yes, that is higher overall than Maine’s percent tree cover.

Destructive Invasive Beetle Creeps Closer to NH

Sam Evans-Brown — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:44:32 +0000

The Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive Asian beetle that has killed millions of Ash trees in the Great Lakes region, is creeping closer to New Hampshire.

This week an Emerald Ash Borer infestation was found in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts. The pest has spread from Michigan, through the Mid-Atlantic region, to upstate New York and Connecticut.

Kyle Lombard with the division of Forested Lands says, on its own the ash borer moves very slowly.

USDA: NH is Most Forested State in the Union

Sam Evans-Brown — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 19:25:50 +0000

A study from the US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service shows that New Hampshire is the most forested of the 48 contiguous states. According to the USDA study 88.9 percent of New Hampshire is covered by trees, beating out neighboring states Maine at 83.1 percent and Vermont at 81.5

The study’s lead author David Nowak says evaluators looked over 80,000 points dropped randomly onto satellite photos from around 2005 to complete the study.