FOREST DESCRIPTIONS OX THE FOREST SURVEY OF 



'JMII-: (;r()Tox state forest, Vermont 



Bv Russi-XL Watson, 

 Assistant Professor of Forestry, University of Michigan ^ 



In attempting to gather, efficiently and well, those silvical and silvi- 

 cultural data necessary in the preparation of working plans for the 

 Groton State Forest, Vermont, a form of forest descriptions was 

 developed, based upon a new conception of their value and use in this 

 country. Nothing, at least, of the kind is found in the recent literature. 

 It is believed, too, after several months' trial, that by the use of this 

 form more expressive information can be obtained about a stand of 

 timber to be handled for forestry purposes than can be obtained by 

 the methods of forest description generally employed on forest survey 

 work. Since the forest description may play a very important part 

 in collection of data for working plans, a description of the form we 

 used may be interesting to foresters generally. 



When preparing plans for the forest survey on this forest property 

 we had two main questions before us, namely, just what information 

 and data do we want to gather on the survey and, how shall we proceed 

 on the survey to get it? 



In answer to the first question, we said that such information was 

 wanted as would enable us to prepare feasible working plans for the 

 property. State Forester Hastings wanted the plans so detailed that 

 practically every acre would be taken care of during the coming 20- 

 year period. It was the object of the plan, primarily, to indicate how 

 to build up and put in order the forest growing stock which, as a 

 result of lumbering and fire, is in a wretched run-down condition, 

 having many undesirable species and not well stocked. The plan, 

 therefore, would be primarily one of silviculture ; but with proper 

 regulation and distribution of age classes clearly in mind for the 

 near future. 



The detailed silvicultural information necessary- to do this for 

 practically every acre on the property, we decided, should be gathered 



' Forinerly Assistant Forester, in Charge of Forest Management. Vermont. 



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