496 APPENDIX 



Only one-fifth the forest area is in private hands and in Haute-Alsace two-thirds the 

 forests are in the hands of the communes. 



Deforestation is rare; from 1871 to 1912 only 2,923 acres of State forest, 6,642 acres of 

 communal, and 9,768 acres of private forest (total of 19,333 acres) has been cleared — a 

 neghgible per cent for a period of over 40 years. Since Alsace-Lorraine was annexed by 

 Germany a total of 13,919 acres has been reforested, or about 331 acres per year. There 

 is only about 74,000 acres of barren land, of which at least 49,000 is excellently adapted 

 for grazing, leaving perhaps 25,000 acres to be restocked. This compares most favor- 

 ably with France proper, where there is perhaps 15 million acres of unused .soil, at least 

 two-thirds of which could be forested. 



Important Species. — " Besides, in the forests of the recovered territory there are 

 found the best species (fir, pine, oak, beech) and the production of timber, favored by a 

 climate suitable for growth, reaches the average figure of 4.1 cubic meters per hectare per 

 year" (perhaps 250 to 300 board feet per acre per year). According to Lafosse: "The 

 forests are located for the most part in the Vosges Mountains and on their lower slopes; 

 the Lorraine plateau is also stocked with forests and they are found in the valley of the 

 Rhine as islands (of forest), some very important stands, notably Haguenau and Hardt 

 (Mtilhausen)." The fir and beech (high forests) are found chiefly on the Vosges sands 

 (gres vosgien) and the granites, while the oak-beech (coppice and coppice-under- 

 standards) is on the marls and limestone. The area, by species, in the high forests is 

 as follows: Beech 34| per cent, fir 32^ per cent, pine 18 per cent, oak 12| per cent, and 

 birch-alder 2| per cent. There are only 586 acres of larch and about one-eighth as 

 much spruce as fir. Counting all species the broadleaves comprise seven-tenths of the 

 stand and the conifers three-tenths. 



Silvicultural Systems. — The method of treatment for (a) the broadleaves and 

 (6) the conifers is as follows: 



Per cent of total forest area 



Broadleaves : Coppice 6 



Coppice-under-standards 26 



Protection forests A of 1 



Under conversion 4§ 



Selection y% of 1 



High forest 30 



Total broadleaves 67| 



Conifers: Selection 1 



High forest 31| 



Total conifers 32^ 



Grand total 100 



For all species the high forest systems occupy 64 per cent of the area but comprise 73 

 per cent in the State forests and 60 per cent in the communal and public institution 

 forests. 



The age cla.sses, both for conifers and broadleaves, are well distributed, but Lafosse (in 

 keeping with French conservatism) argues that the older stands (over 100 years of age) 



of the forests. Exploitation of the timber. Material cut, Money yield of the forests. Wood 

 prices, Money value of the State forests of Alsace-Lorraine, "Expenditures of the Forest 

 Service, Wood industries, Movement of the exchange of forest products, Sliooting in 

 Alsace-Lorraine, Policy of shooting. Damage caused by game." These data have been 

 summarized and rearranged. 



Lafosse is one of the most distinguished French foresters and holds the rank of In- 

 specteur General des Eaux et Forets, and after the armistice was appointed Directeur 

 General des Eaux et Forets et de I'Agriculture d'Alsace et de Lorraine. 



