USES OF NATURAL AREAS 



19 



representation of all important forest 

 types. Such areas may now be found 

 in the National Forests. The longer 

 their economic use and development is 

 continued, the further will they depart 

 from a primeval condition. 



The descriptions of the National 

 Forests in the following pages are 

 grouped according to the eight adminis- 

 trative districts. The forest types vary 

 widely between districts and also within 

 some of these districts. The accompany- 

 ing map (figs. 1 and 2) gives a general 

 idea of the location of the National 

 Forests and the approximate number of 

 areas on which the forest conditions are 

 being preserved in their natural and 

 semi-natural states. The areas within 

 the National Forests which are being 

 preserved in their natural condition are 

 chiefly those closed to grazing, timber 

 sales, and other commercial exploitation 

 because they possess unusual scenic 

 features, are the sources of important 

 municipal water supplies, or are for- 

 esters' permanent sample plots located 

 in virgin timber as a check on some 

 artificial cultural operation. The areas 

 being preserved in a semi-natural con- 

 dition comprise the federal and state 

 game preserves, the majority of the 

 permanent sample plots, experimental 

 forests, and areas on which some forms 

 of use are prohibited and others 

 permitted. 



It is greatly to be regretted that, on 

 account of the prohibitive cost, the 

 Committee found it absolutely impos- 

 sible to publish the excellent maps 

 submitted by some of the contributors. 

 The map accompanying this paper 

 (figs. 1 and 2) is necessarily on too small a 

 scale to show these areas with the pre- 

 cision and detail of classification they 

 deserve. Anj^one desiring to visit any 

 of the National Forest areas, whether 

 for study or for pleasure, should com- 

 municate with the nearest District 

 Forester at the address given on the 

 map, who will gladly supply the desired 

 information in much more detail than 

 it could possibly be given here. Many 

 of the National Forests are reached by 



highways, while good mountain roads 

 are available for extensive trips into 

 the higher portions. For the regions 

 inaccessible by automobile, trails are 

 avail,"blc which extend through(jut the 

 mountains in such a way as to bring tlic 

 greater part of them within reach. 

 Camping equipment is often necessary 

 and always desirable. Information re- 

 garding roads, means of transportaion 

 and subsistence can always be secured 

 at the office of the local Forest Super- 

 visor or from the Forest Rangers at the 

 ranger stations in the National Forests. 

 Few restrictions are imposed upon natu- 

 ralists in the National Forests and the 

 local Forest Officers are always willing 

 to give additional information as to 

 routes and methods of travel. 



3. PERMANENT SAMPLE PLOTS IN 

 THE NATIONAL FORESTS 



By C. F. Korstian 



Within a few decades a large part of 

 our natural wild woods will be cut over 

 and the forest products needed in every- 

 day life will be supplied by second- 

 growth forests. It is, therefore, im- 

 portant to know what tree species these 

 lands are capable of growing and how 

 much timber they will yield. In order 

 to answer these questions the forester 

 must determine what kinds of trees are 

 coming in naturally, how fast they are 

 growing, the loss due to various causes, 

 including natural shading out of the 

 smaller and weaker trees, what may be 

 expected from those which live, and 

 whether the natural reproduction is 

 adequate to insure satisfactory stands 

 of valuable species of timber trees or 

 whether it needs to be supplemented by 

 artificial planting. 



Some of the first permanent sample 

 plots in the National Forests wore 

 established on the Coconino and Tu- 

 sayan Forests by the Fort \'allcy Forest 

 Experiment Station, about IG years ago, 

 for the purpose of obtaining basic 

 scientific data on those questions. 

 There are now many such plols on the 

 National Forests throughout the West, 



