THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF WORKING PLANS 185 



mean annual increment can be used if, by investigation, it has 



been determined what relation with increasing age and on 



different site qualities the current annual increment bears to 



the mean annual. 



A peculiarity of Bavarian forest organization is the " Char- 



N 

 acter Index " (" Charakterzahl ") of the stand: — or the 



a 



number of stems per hectare divided by the average diameter. 



This index figure is determined separately for each stand. 



In the description of existing conditions, special attention 

 is paid to the methods of getting out the timber and sugges- 

 tions for the development of roads, and other logging methods. 

 Forests only partially accessible demand a plan of logging 

 which includes portions now inaccessible as well as those already 

 opened to management. This plan is usually indicated on a 

 contour map. 



The real and the normal growing stock are determined (the 

 latter from yield tables), since they show whether there is an 

 excess or a deficit. The relation of normal increment to normal 

 growing stock gives the normal yield by which the actual yield 

 can be judged (see Hundeshagen's formula, method No. 7). 



On this basis of conditions as they exist, the general rules 

 of management are then formulated according to the objects 

 which the forest is to serve. A decision must therefore be 

 reached as to species, form of stands desired, silvicultural 

 methods, and the rotation to be adopted. Finally the cutting 

 area for the next working period must be fixed. 



A working unit may be divided into groups (" Betriebs- 

 klassen ") that is, portions of one or more administrative units 

 varying sufficiently from conditions on the rest of the area to 

 warrant a separate age-class table and calculation of the cut. 

 These variations can be in silvicultural method; in different 

 age of maturity in the species (i.e., different rotations); in 

 marked difference of increment, especially in widely varying 

 elevations; and in important servitudes which influence the 

 course of management. 



