The current species composition of forest stands in northern New England are the result of human impact and natural processes. To fully understand the interactions between the two, we must reconstruct the composition and condition of the presettlement forests. This study aims to reconstruct presettlement forests in the White Mountains of central New Hampshire in order to establish a quantitative record of population changes over time. If the changes can be correlated with the environmental stresses driving the system, then the future of New England forests can be predicted to a greater degree.

This study utilizes archival land surveys and witness tree accounts, which are subject to some irregularities. However, fraud, settlement influence prior to the survey, misidentification of trees, sampling bias, and surveyor bias do not invalidate the effectiveness of the reconstruction of the presettlement forest. A total of 993 trees from 14 towns were superimposed on topographical maps, resulting in a data set of species, elevation, and aspect. The results were similar across towns, establishing beech, red spruce, and birch as the three dominant species. Hemlock, maple, and balsam fir were also important to various degrees. The species composition and abundance indicates that the forest was mature with little fire disturbance. This reconstruction is similar in composition to other presettlement reconstructions of northern New England forests and to the first U.S. Forest Service Survey conducted in 1903. The pollen record indicates a similar species composition of presettlement forests.

The forest was dominated by beech and hemlock below 400 meters, and by spruce, fir, and some birch above 600 meters. It is marked by a transition in the zone between 400 and 600 meters. An analysis of aspect indicates that beech, fir, and spruce were more abundant on the northern slope while maple and hemlock appeared more frequently on the southern slope. Birch was equally abundant on both slopes. Aspect analysis was correlated with elevation, showing an increase in the number of spruce and fir on the southern face at higher elevations. Fir was not recorded below 500 meters while hemlock and maple were not recorded above 500 and 700 meters, respectively.

The reconstructed presettlement forest varied from the current forest composition at comparable elevations in areas such as the Hubbard Brook Valley, Area I of the Bowl Natural Area, and old-growth stands in the Bartlett Experimental Forest. The general trend appears to be a decrease in spruce and an increase in hardwoods like birch, maple, and beech. Aspect data for current forest compositions was not available.