Pete Bettinger

Two Views of the Impact of Strong Wind Events on Forests of the Southern United States

An Internet-based survey was administered to understand whether there were differences in perception among Georgia and Mississippi registered foresters with regard to environmental factors leading to forest damage during strong wind events. The perception among both groups was that recent management activity, forest density, and recent weather activity are the most important factors for pine plantations and natural pine forests. These factors, and soil conditions, were perceived important for upland and bottomland hardwood forests. Significant differences in perception among the two groups were found, particularly with regard to the proximity of forests to openings or wetlands, which may be reflective of different experiences dealing with the consequences of severe storms, or reflective of differences in topography, tree species, or soil conditions between the states. Our study indicates that the level of importance the registered foresters place on factors leading to forest damage may differ from results of site-specific research studies.