CHAPTER IV 

 THE COMPOSITE FOREST 



Paragraph LXXIII. Genesis of the composite 

 forest and its types. 



The composite forest contains specimens having originated from 

 seeds as well as specimens having originated from sprouts. 



The primeval forests found in the Chestnut region of the South- 

 ern Appalachians, notably on windswept sites, exhibit this form 

 frequently. 



Where the virgin character of the hardwood forest has been 

 destroyed by fire and maltreatment, sprout-forests and seed-forests 

 are intermixed frequently. 



All over the Piedmont Plateau there are found huge tracts of 

 Pine and hardwood land wherein the Pines are evidently the off- 

 spring of seeds, while the hardwoods show the earmarks of sprout 

 growth. 



H. S. Graves, in his " Principles of handling woodlands " dis- 

 tinguishes between two " systems " of composite forest : 



a. Coppice Avith standards, when the bulk of the forest area is 

 occupied by sprouts cut in short rotations; 



b. Pole-Avood coppice, when an even-aged stand of sprouts and 

 trees from seeds is allowed to grow to pole- wood size (40-70 years 

 of age), and then reproduced in part by sprouts, in part by natural 

 seeding. 



The form of coppice under (with) standards is the most im- 

 portant sylvicultural form of the composite forest. It is used 

 extensively in the old country. It was introduced, in suitable 

 localities, most successfully on the Biltmore Estate. Its advantages 

 are such as to commend it particularly to the owner of hardwood 

 forests in Eastern North America. And it is well worth while to 

 consider it in detail. 



" Coppice under standards " consists of an underwood and of an 

 overwood. 



The underwood is nothing but simple, even-aged coppice. 



The overwood exhibits the selection, sometimes the group form 

 of seed forest, and is supposed to recruit itself from seedlings. 



