The forest communities are divided into three main forest types: spruce-fir; 

 maple-beech-birch; and white pine-hemlock-hardwood. Each forest type will be 

 analyzed for habitat conditions, reproduction and growth, management methods, 

 and occurrence of natural enemies. Analysis by this method readily 

 facilitates discussion of ecological interactions. The grouping of forest 

 types here necessitated the inclusion of several minor forest types recognized 

 by the United States Forest Service as occurring in the coastal zone (table 

 19-2) . Separate sections in the chapter are devoted to fuel wood production 

 and Christmas tree production. 



Biological and silvicultural knowledge of tree species in the characterization 

 area is relatively widespread because the species are all common in Eastern 

 North America and have been well studied in various parts of their botanical 

 ranges. However, they have not been well studied in coastal areas and facts 

 such as species' modifications and adaptations to the maritime climate are 

 little known. 



The information used to prepare this chapter has been compiled from research 

 conducted by: universities in the Northeast (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, 

 Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York), the North Central States (Michigan, 

 Wisconsin, and Minnesota), and Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova 

 Scotia, and Newfoundland), the U.S. Forest Service, the Canadian Forest 

 Service, and individual State and Provincial forest service organizations. 



Precise statistical data (e.g., sawtimber volume, forest land area by 

 ownership class, timber growth, and available cut projections) for the coastal 

 zone are not available. However, the Forest Survey unit of the United States 

 Forest Service inventoried the timber resources of Maine during 1968 to 1970 

 (Ferguson and Kingsley 1972), so some information on forest conditions and 

 production (table 19-3 and figure 19-1) is available. See atlas map 2 for 

 types of land cover found in the characterization area. Geographic sampling 

 units in Maine, as presented by Ferguson and Kingsley (1972), are shown in 

 figure 19-1. The Casco Bay Unit, the Capitol Unit, and the Hancock and 

 Washington Units encompass most of the characterization area. Units are 

 delineated on the basis of homogeneity of tree species in so far as possible. 

 Common names of species are used except where accepted scientific names do not 

 exist. Taxonomic names of all species mentioned are given in the appendix to 

 chapter 1. 



The 1968 to 1970 Forest Survey points out the following general trends in 

 Maine's timber resource that deserve attention: 



1 . Softwood (one of the botanical group of trees that have needle or 

 scale-like leaves) growing-stock is increasing at a much greater rate 

 than that of hardwood (one of the botanical group of trees that have 

 broad leaves) . 



2. About two-thirds of the sawtimber volume is in trees <15.0 inches, or 

 38 cm, diameter at breast height (dbh; 4.5 feet, or 1.4 m, above 

 average ground level). 



3. Although growth exceeds removal for total growing-stock, the growth- 

 to-removal ratios of northern white cedar, northern red oak, white 

 ash, yellow birch, white pine, sugar maple, and beech show 

 overcutting. 



19-3 



10-80 



