Deer browsing continues to have a severe impact on seedlings and young trees in many forest areas in Pennsylvania. Acid rain is contributing to problems with forest health in certain localized regions where trees are exposed to highly acidic fogs and cloud masses on a frequent basis. Also, elevated concentration of ozone during the summer months is causing visible injury to plant leaves. Overall, the forest is in good condition. In a healthy forest you will still see dead and dying trees.
Trees die as a natural part of life in the forest.
Dead and dying trees are more common in some places due to old age, poor soils, or weather extremes. In fact, having some dead trees in the forest is beneficial for wildlife habitat. No single measurement can summarize forest health. Instead, we need to look at a wide set of indicators which together serve as a reflection of existing conditions. Repeated monitoring of the forest over time allows us to identify trends in forest conditions and evaluate the effectiveness of our actions.