Results of the first annual inventory of Nebraska's forests (2001-05) show an estimated 1.24 million acres of forest land; 1.17 million acres meet the definition of timberland. Softwood forest types account for one-third of all forest land area, with ponderosa pine being the most prevalent type. Hardwood forest types comprise 58 percent of Nebraska's forest land. Elm/ash/cottonwood is the predominant forest-type group in the State, accounting for 26 percent of all forest land area. Live-tree volume on timberland increased from 1.3 to 1.8 billion cubic feet between the 1994 and 2005 inventories. This report includes information on forest attributes, forest health, and agents of change: the introduction of nonnative invasive plants, insects and diseases, and the rapid expansion of eastern red cedar.

Results of the 2005 annual inventory of Nebraska show an estimated 1.24 million acres of forest land. Softwoods comprise one-third of this forested area, with ponderosa pine being the primary component by acreage and volume. Hardwoods comprise more than half (58 percent) of all forested acreage. Overall, the elm/ash/cottonwood type is the predominant forest-type group in the state, comprising 26 percent of all forested land. In terms of volume, the estimate of net volume of all live trees and salvable dead trees on timberland increased from 1.71 to 1.74 billion cubic feet between the 1983 and 2005 inventories.

Where the eastern and western currents of American life merge as smoothly as one river flows into another is a place called Nebraska. There we find the Platte, a river that gave sustenance to the countless migrants who once trudged westward along the Mormon and Oregon trails. We find the Sandhills, a vast region of sandy grassland that represents the largest area of dunes and the grandest and least disturbed region of mixed-grass prairies in all the Western Hemisphere. And, below it all, we find the Ogallala aquifer, the largest potential source of unpolluted water anywhere. ø These ecological treasures are all part of the nature of Nebraska. With characteristic clarity, energy, and charm, Paul A. Johnsgard guides us through Nebraska?s incredible biodiversity, introducing us to each ecosystem and the flora and fauna it sustains and inviting us to contemplate the purpose and secrets of the natural world as we consider our own roles and responsibilities in our connection with it.