MALL EXHIBIT BRINGS OUTDOORS INDOORS

"This tree was 176 years old when it was cut. It suffered through at least three timber fires and a couple of drought years."

Leanne Pecher, an assistant resource forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation, was pointing to a cross-section of a short-leaf pine tree on display at a forestry exhibit at West Park Mall.

"You can tell a lot about a tree by the rings," she said. "You can tell the approximate age by counting the rings. Some of the dark marks reflect fire damage and other marks reflect lack of water during a drought year."

Foresters estimated that the old pine had withstood fire damage in 1819, 1826 and 1836, said Pecher. "The short-leaf pine is the only native pine in Missouri," she said.

"Forests for the Future" is the theme of the Missouri Department of Conservation this year. Monday the department started bringing some of the outdoors indoors at West Park Mall.

The Cape Girardeau shopping center is hosting the "Forests for the Future" traveling display for two weeks through Aug. 9. The cross-section of the short-leaf pine is attracting the interest of viewers.

The overall exhibit, near the Famous Barr Court inside the mall, is a 20-by-30-foot walk-through exhibit. The 12-foot high exhibit includes a video monitor that explains and illustrates the history, ecology, management, values and status of Missouri's forests, and a computer game entitled "Weed the Tree."

"This exhibit is designed to let people know what forestry is, the relationship between harvest and growth, and the many benefits afforded by our trees."

The bulk of Missouri forest land is owned by Missourians. "Eighty five percent of all forest land in the state is owned by citizens," she said. "Only 3.3 is owned by the state. The remainder of forest land 11.7 percent is owned by the federal government."

A statewide forest survey completed in 1989 reveals that Missouri has gained one million acres of forest land during the past 17 years.

"A survey periodically inventories the state's forest land to determined the acreage of forest land, its condition and volume of timber, rate and growth and harvest," said Pecher.

Included at the exhibition are samples of 16 different trees highlighted by silhouettes of each tree's leaf and its fruit. Another exhibit features a number of trees and the products produced from them.

Missouri has at least 140 native trees. Some of the notable trees include the dogwood, the state tree; white oak; cottonwood; black walnut; American elm; sassafras and shagbark hickory.

Missouri has 2,500 forest-based industries that provide jobs to more than 33,000 people and contribute more than $3 billion to the economy each year.

Missouri forests also provide important habitat for wildlife, including deer, bobcats, other animals and birds.

Foresters say 1.5 pounds of carbon dioxide is removed from the air and one pound of oxygen is generated for every pound of new wood produced.

"We've had great response to the exhibition," said Pecher, who has traveled with the exhibit that first went on display in November at Kansas City.

Since then it has appeared at Columbia, Joplin and Springfield.

"More than 250,000 people have viewed the exhibit," she said.

A good first-day crowd visited the exhibit at West Park Mall, she said.