There are more black bears in the wild today than there were a century ago. In the 1800s and early 1900s, bear populations dropped considerably as bears were either killed or otherwise forced from their range as land was cleared for agriculture. The past century has seen a reduction in agriculture in the United States, with people leaving the rural areas and moving to the cities. As farmland has reverted to forest, bears are reclaiming some of their territories. Young forests meet the needs of black bears even more than do mature or old growth forests.