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In addition to providing habitat for many of the
Northern Forests' indigenous species, the forest provides economic
resources to people in the region. The timber industry has long
been an important factor in New Hampshire's economy. The forestry
products industry is the third largest industry in the state.
It provided 16,000 jobs in 1998 and contributed $3.96 million
to the state's economy.
(Source: New Hampshire Timberland Owner's Association)
The type of forest that an area of land can support is determined
by a number of factors including climate, soil type, drainage,
elevation, and human impact.
The forest type is generally designated based on the predominant
tree species in the area. For example, in northern New England,
especially Maine, the predominant species are spruce, fir, and
northern hardwoods. The types of organisms that inhabit a particular
area are directly related to the environmental conditions that
exist there, environmental conditions that are created by the
abiotic and biotic factors in the environment. For
more information on trees and forests, visit Mr. Donn's Pages.
Important Terms:
abiotic = non-living such as sunlight, water,
wind, soil, temperature, etc.
biotic = living such as predator, prey, parasites,
etc.
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