FOREST CONDITIONS IN TENNESSEE. 



51 



run overcomes and replaces in the mature virgin stands the black and red oaks, 

 which have such a marked advantage over it in early life. As a rule, in virgin 

 woods, the proportion of white oak increases steadily in the older-age classes. 

 It often forms the bulk of the mature timber in stands where but 10 per cent of 

 the young growth is white oak. 



The very slow rate of growth of white oak seedlings under virgin forest, as 

 well as their persistence under adverse conditions, is shown in the last column 

 of Table 1. It is based upon measurements of seventy-seven white oak seedlings 

 in virgin coves in the Holston Mountains of Northeastern Tennessee. The for- 

 est in this case was exceptionally dense, and the rate of growth is undoubtedly 

 much lower than the average on virgin lands in the region as a whole. The 

 growth of white oak seedlings, however, is slower than that of seedlings of most 

 of the important timber trees associated with it. Under similar site conditions, 

 young black and red oak will almost invariably outstrip white oak. 



The rate of growth in height of white oak sprouts under virgin woods is given 

 in the three middle columns for the cove and slope types of the Cumberland 

 Mountains and for the cove type of the Holston Mountains. 



TABLE 1. HEIGHT OF YOUNG WHITE OAK AT DIFFERENT AGES IN 

 EASTERN TENNESSEE. 



