>>1457007Sorry been in and out of class all day. I'll elaborate.
The species themselves are superior, in that we have greater biodiversity. Like out west, we have numerous types of pine, fir, cedar and spruce- but we also have:
>half a dozen types of maple>half a dozen types of oak>half a dozen types of hickory>a couple varieties of ash>beech>dogwood>elder>magnolia>black gum>sassafras>aspen>several types of birch>several types of cherry>elm>basswood>sycamore>willow>locust>walnut ...and I am sure I am leaving some out. Of course they aren't all found right next to each other but I can say with certainty there are at least a 15 different (sub)species within a 5 minute walk of my location. I like having the hardwood because I do a lot of turning and I like harvesting burls, crotches and slabs from downed trees I find. In addition, I think they are beautiful, especially when the dogwoods and magnolias bloom, or the leaves start to turn in fall. I like that I can harvest sassafras root, or sweet birch trimmings to make root beer and birch beer.
However, the proximity to civilization is a con for me. The only truly expansive forests I can access easily are the dolly sods (pretty much desolate marsh and clearings) or Allegheny National Forest, which is covered with natural gas extraction and has shit topography. It's not like out west where you can go into certain areas and truly get lost.
As for ticks and siderwebs; the ticks can be a problem but deet keeps them at bay. At least at my latitude the worst spiders you will find give you a small itchy welt. As for snakes, we really only have two venomous- copperheads and timber rattle snakes. While I have ran into both, I find watersnakes, rat snakes, and garter snakes far more often. (Of course, like with spiders this depends on latitude). Pretty sure most western states have more venomous species to contend with.
Pic related, look at the beautiful wood that is plentiful here.
