Study: Katrina caused major harm to south Miss. forests

[Mississippi] A new study confirms initial reports following Hurricane Katrina that found the massive storm left forests in south Mississippi with widespread damage. The study that included contractors and federal forest crews determined that nearly 90 percent of the region’s woods sustained some damage as a result of the Aug. 29, 2005 hurricane. …crews took a manual survey of more than 30,000 trees in the six coastal counties. They found 88 percent of forested plots were damaged during the hurricane. Harrison County suffered the most damage and Hancock and Jackson counties had the least, the report said, although that level is near 80 percent. According to the study, a significantly lower percentage of bigger commercial trees suffered damage than the forest as a whole.

Read the report: Initial Estimates of Hurricane Katrina Impacts on Mississippi Gulf Coast Forest Resources

News notes are courtesy of Southern Forests Network News Notes
www.southernsustainableforests.org