Net Growth In 1978, net growth of softwoods was 35,108,000 cubic feet 

 for growing stock and 99,380,000 board feet for sawtimber. This represented 

 2.1 percent of the softwood cubic foot volumes and 2.3 percent of the soft- 

 wood board foot volume (see Tables 19 and 20). For the Rocky Mountain 

 region, net growth for softwoods was 1.7 percent (USD A Forest Service 

 1978). 



Over time, net growth will increase or decrease in response to changes 

 in mortality rates, harvest rates, amounts of insects or disease, and the for- 

 est's stocking and age distribution. All of these factors can be manipulated 

 to some degree through the management practices applied to the forest. 



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