The Southern Group of State Foresters posted an interesting perspective on our forests, including the challenges they face from urbanization, climate changes, and market drivers. They also provide solutions to counter the challenges they are facing. While I find their commentary to push wood products and commercial forestry a bit (not surprising), they do provide a good overview of the issues that forest owners have to deal with and also provide some solutions that may help maintain and improve southern forests in the future.

Natural longleaf pine forest in Alabama. Source: William Boyer, US Forest Service.