24 



AMERICAN ]'()R1{STRY 



RECOXXAISSAXCE MEN HKI.P TO DISCOVKR AND EXTINGUISH FOREST FIRES. 



not be worked up until a reconnaissance 

 of timber areas has been made. 



The third direct result is the forest 

 description. This description endeavors 

 to give in words what can not be told 

 on the map, and it is concerned with the 

 present conditions under which the tim- 

 ber is growing. In future it will serve 

 as a basis for making comparisons and 

 determining whether the forest condi- 

 tions have improved or not. Usually 

 the reverse side of a special form is 

 filled out, which includes, among other 

 headings, amount of immature growth, 

 its distribution and the relative per- 

 centages of the three leading species, 

 notes on rock, soil, ground cover, vmder- 

 brush, condition of timber, average age. 

 logging conditions, and adaptability of 

 the land to logging. The immature 

 growth, that is, sapling and seedlings 

 below 6 inches in diameter at breast 

 height (4j/2 feet), is usually designated 

 by some adjective, as "good," "fair," or 

 "poor" ; the manner of distribution is 

 noted as "in groups," "singly," "gen- 

 eral," or the like. Assuming the total 

 amount of small growth to represent 

 100 per cent, the percentage of the lead- 

 ing species is given as "yellow pine 80 

 per cent, white fir 10 per cent, and in- 



cense cedar 10 pc" cent." If the tables 

 of the total stand difi^er from these, it 

 can be seen whether the yellow pine is 

 increasing or decreasing as compared 

 with the white fir, and in what propor- 

 tion. This information would help in- 

 dicate the predominant species in the 

 next crop and would be helpful in mark- 

 ing the timber. It might also lead one 

 to suppose that, if the yellow pine is 

 reproducing itself readily and the white 

 fir is going back, the soil is better 

 adapted for yellow pine, and therefore 

 this species should be favored. Notes 

 on the amount and distribution of the 

 underbrush are taken the same way. In 

 many cases notes on soil, rock, and 

 ground cover ''an be taken more ad- 

 \antageously for each forest type or 

 sub-type rather than for each forty. 

 The logging conditions should be de- 

 scribed on the basis of natural subdi- 

 \isions such as logging units. Careful 

 attention should be given to whether the 

 forest is even-aged or uneven-aged, 

 and, whatever the condition is, whether 

 it ap]ilies to large areas, to small areas, 

 or only to groups. This is an imi)ortant 

 matter in adopting a method of regula- 

 tion. The matter of site classes, types 

 and sub-types, and condition of the tim- 



