Great Lakes Forests: A Data Synthesis

Abstract

Foundational to effective forest management is a comprehensive understanding of forest resources. While the Great Lakes region has a rich library of basin-wide assessments, none provides a holistic picture of the region’s forests. This synthesis includes the status and trends of forests in natural, agricultural and urban landscapes.

The Forest Synthesis covers the US Great Lakes watershed extending from northern Minnesota to the New York state border with Ontario. This 70-million-acre assessment area includes parts of seven states and all of Michigan.

The importance of the Great Lakes cannot be overstated. Together, the lakes hold 20% of the world’s fresh water and more than 90% of the fresh waters of the United States and provide drinking water for 40 million people in the US and Canada. Integral to the health of the Great Lakes are the region’s forests that cover more than 50% of the land, capturing and filtering the waters that ultimately reach the lakes, and in doing so supporting remarkable biological diversity and human communities.

Synthesis Contents

• A thorough description of the ecological setting and human factors that have shaped the region’s forests (Chapter 2)
• Comprehensive analyses of the region’s forests extent, ownership patterns, turnover and disturbances (Chapter 3)
• The multiple benefits that intact forests provide for water quality, water quantity regulation, wildlife and the economy through forestry and recreation (Chapter 4)
• The role of trees in agricultural landscapes and resources on agroforestry (Chapter 5)
• The benefits to city dwellers of trees and parks and status of the urban canopy (Chapter 6)

This work was guided by a Forest Service, Eastern Region steering committee. We gratefully acknowledge their help, guidance and suggestions.

Additional Resource

Executive Summary

Citation

Khoury, M., Clark, M., Olivero, A., Swaty, R. and M.G. Anderson. (2025). Great Lakes forests: A data synthesis. The Nature Conservancy, Center for Resilient Conservation Science. USA.