By Jordan A. Bowman
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
March 5, 2021
One of my favorite feelings when stepping onto the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) is when I cross the border from the modern world and into a thick forest. I feel it more than I see it: not only the shade of the canopy overhead, but also a sense of power among the trees. I’m reminded that, for most of the trees I walk by, I am a blip in their lives. They were here long before I was. And, unless some tragedy occurs, the vast majority of them will be here long after my hiking days have ended.
That power also speaks to the strength of the forests, their ability to withstand the impact of catastrophic events: wildfires, hurricanes, floods, invasive species, and more. This strength is referred to as resiliency, the ability to recover from or withstand an impact. The bigger the impact, the more resilient a forest must be to withstand the event and quickly recover.