• Witham, Jack W.
  University of Maine
  
• Moore, Elizabeth H.
  Holt Research Forest
  

The history of land use as a dynamic element of ecosystem change in coastal New England must be studied not only at a regional or landscape level but at the level of specific properties as well. The Holt Research Forest in Maine's lower Kennebec valley provides an excellent example of the reciprocal relationship between environmental features and historical land uses. After first reviewing the need for research that incorporates land use history as a dynamic element of ecosystem change, this paper describes the Holt Research Forest and the factors that led to this inquiry, then reports the results of this land use history study and comments on its implications for future research.