FORESTS OF THE UNITED STATES 67 



absence of proper forest management. Here the practice of 

 forestry should bring rich rewards, for in no portion of the 

 United States is tree growth so rapid. 



Rocfy Mountain Forest: 



In this forest the most important tree, by far, is western yel- 

 low pine. Growing largely in open, scattered stands it extends 

 over almost all this region except the Central Rockies. Mixed 

 in with the pine, and over small areas growing in pure stands 

 are Douglas fir, white fir, lodgepole pine, engelman spruce and 

 western larch. In this region the forests occur very unevenly, 

 largely because of the great difference in land elevations. The 

 forest is not unbroken as in the east, but occurs at the higher 

 elevation like islands of trees surrounded at their base by broad 

 valleys of dry, treeless lowlands and topped above by bare 

 mountain tops too high for tree growth. This region has not 

 suffered greatly from logging, but destructive fires have laid 

 waste large areas. More than half of this forest still bears vir- 

 gin timber. 



Pacific Coast Forest: 



The largest timber in all North America and perhaps in the 

 world is found in the forests of the Pacific Coast. This forest 

 is composed principally of softwoods with a few scattered hard- 

 woods of no great importance. In all this region Douglas fir 

 is the most important timber tree and is only surpassed in size 

 by the redwood. Here, too, large quantities of yellow pine exist, 

 together with some western hemlock and several species of fir. 

 Redwood grows there and on the coast of northern California 

 is an exceedingly important timber tree. 



