Human Land-Use History In Centennial Woods

The past use of an area can explain a lot about the current state of the land. In my spot, as in most of Centennial Woods, there is little to no old growth forest. The Centennial Woods field guide speaks of barbed wire throughout the forest. Both these factors point to the land formerly being pasture and agricultural land. There is little information available regarding this part of Centennial’s land use history, but in 1974 Centennial Woods Natural Area was purchased by the University of Vermont along with several other land parcels to be set aside as natural areas. The following map is from 1993, after the purchase, and shows Centennial Woods Natural Area as it was at that time:

Centennial Woods Natural Area. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, 1993.
http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmsc/Centennial%20Woods/Centennial_Woods_Survey_1993.jpg (accessed December 02, 2014)

The Changing Landscapes of Centennial Woods Natural Area: A Field Guide [PDF]. University of Vermont Natural Areas. University of Vermont Environmental Program, http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmsc/Centennial%20Woods/Changing_Landscapes_Centennial_Woods002.pdf.

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