I often wonder how different the Blue Ridge mountains looked 100 years ago, with the American Chestnut and various other trees that different forms of blight have since killed. It’s kind of sad visiting Clingman’s Dome or Mt. Mitchell, where you can see the skeletons of all the dead trees.
I was walking through a local bird sanctuary this morning. The various species of woodpeckers are doing very well, because of all the dead and dying ash trees (Emerald Ash Borer.)
