Virginia Tech professor writes comprehensive report on American forests
BLACKSBURG, June 8, 2007 - Mila Alvarez, a professor in Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and working at the university's National Capital Region campus, has authored a comprehensive report for the Society of American Foresters (SAF) that details everything there is to know about American forests.
In addition to facts about forests in the United States, the report also presents information that allows forests in America to be compared to other nations around the world.
According to the report, the Russian Federation is the most forest-rich nation in the world. Brazil and Canada rank second and third, and the United States places fourth, containing eight percent of the worlds primary forest. The report goes on to say that the number of acres of forestland in America has barely changed over the past century. Approximately 25 percent of private forestland is protected by the stainable Forestry Initiative, the Forest Stewardship Council, or the American Tree Farm System. Of the total amount of forest, 20 percent in protected by some sort of conservation program. This compares favorably with the world average of 11 percent.
The 68-page report cites over 50 sources that were used to piece together the overwhelming amount of data it contains. In addition to being a professor at Virginia Tech, Alvarez is the principal of Solutions for Nature, a natural resources management consulting firm.
The College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech consistently ranks among the top five programs of its kind in the nation. Faculty members stress both the technical and human elements of natural resources and instill in students a sense of stewardship and land-use ethics. Areas of studies include environmental resource management, fisheries and wildlife sciences, forestry, geospatial and environmental analysis, natural resource recreation, urban forestry, wood science and forest products, geography, and international development.
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This story can be found on the Virginia Tech News website:
http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2007&itemno=320
CONTACT:
Lynn Davis
(540) 231-6157
davisl@vt.edu
