All photographs taken by Christopher M. Oswalt unless otherwise noted. Front cover: top left, vibrant colored leaves such as these maples leaves provide a brilliant display each autumn; top right, Benton Mountain. (photo by Rob Howard); bottom, autumn lake. (photo by Ned Horton). Back cover: top left, aerial picture of Appalachian mountain ridges and valleys taken near Bristol, Tennessee. (photo by Bantosh, Wikimedia.org); top right, vibrant colored leaves such as these maples leaves provide a

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... rilliant display each autumn; bottom, misty morning, Tennessee River. This shot was taken in the early morning as the sun was rising over an industrial area of Knoxville, Tennessee. The buildings were obscured by clouds, a gift. (photo by Rob Howard) Welcome. . . The forests of Tennessee are as diverse as they are expansive. The unique shape of the State stretches across multiple regions of changing topography, geology, and ecologyeach having signifi cant infl uence on the type and breadth of the forest resource. From the Mississippi fl oodplain, across the Highland Rim, through the Nashville Basin, climbing the Cumberland Plateau and over to the Appalachian Mountains, Tennessee's forests cover half the State. Tracking forest resources changes and trends is important on many levels. As such it is vital to have the best available means for assessing the extent and condition of our State's forest resources.