acre per year is recommended for prevention and sup- 

 pression work in the Coastal "ground-burning" counties 

 with their large unbroken tracts of timber land, as com- 

 pared with 2 cents per acre in the well-broken forest areas 

 of the Piedmont. With fire control on a state basis, effort 

 can be concentrated where nseded, from the Mountains to 

 the Coast. 



The timber resources of North Carolina are a state re- 

 sponsibility. As most of the wood-using industries depend 

 upon the state as a source of raw material, fire control is 

 not entirely a county problem. The method of financing a 

 state-wide system must, of course, be determined by the 

 General Assembly. Recommendations have been and will be 

 made by the Department of Conservation and Develop- 

 ment. 



The neighboring states of Virginia and South Carolina 

 have recognized the need of state-wide control and have 

 established systems to meet their responsibilities. 



CAN FOREST MANAGEMENT MAINTAIN 

 PINE? 



COMPARATIVE VALUE OF PINE AND HARDWOOD 

 ON "PINE LAND" 



This question has often been asked: Does pine or hard- 

 wood produce the greatest return, in volume or value, when 

 grown on the so-called "pine land" in the Piedmont and 

 Coastal Plain? An exact answer, based on research, has 

 evidently not been found. However, most authorities agree 

 that the volume produced by pine far exceeds the volume 

 produced by hardwoods on the flat "pinelands" and roll- 

 ing uplands. Dr. C. F. Korstian, Dean of the School of 

 Forestry at Duke University, said : "It is my opinion that 

 pine will produce at least two times the volume in the 

 same period of time on approximately 80 per cent of the 

 land in the Piedmont. The remaining 20 per cent of the 

 land, which is located along stream bottoms and draws, is 

 suited for good quality hardwood production." 



G. M. Jemison, Silviculturist of the Southeastern Forest 

 Experiment Station, believes that pine will outgrow hard- 

 wood two to one on at least 75 per cent of the land in the 

 Piedmont, but stated he had no figures to prove it. Profes- 

 sor H. H. Chapman, of Yale University, dismissed the 

 hardwoods on most of the lands in the belt along the east- 

 ern coast as "worthless brush" when compared with pine. 



Assuming that pine will produce greater volume per 

 acre on these areas, what is the comparative quality of 

 the material produced? High quality hardwood logs have a 

 greater value, financially, than pine. This being the case, 

 is it better to grow hardwood than pine? The answer is 

 definitely "No." In the first place, the volume production 

 from pine more than offsets any financial gain from qual- 

 ity hardwoods and, in the second place, there is very little 

 hardwood "quality" production on these areas. 



If the present hardwood forests on the sand ridge, sandy 

 loam, and rolling upland areas are any indication of the 

 quality to be produced, the state can meet its full re- 

 quirements for fuelwood, but not for lumber. The oak, 

 hickory, maple, black gum and other hardwood species do 

 not produce high, or even medium quality, lumber on these 

 areas. 



In an effort to ascertain what proportion of the forest 

 lands in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain are better suited 

 for the growing of pine than hardwood, plots were care- 



fully examined and the conclusion reached was influenced 

 by existing stands, drainage indicator plants, soil, and 

 site index. From these field classifications, proportions 

 were determined for each of the regions under question. 



The North Coastal Plain shows approximately 40 per 

 cent of the region better suited for pine than hardwood; 

 the South Coastal Plain 72 per cent; and the Piedmont 

 78 per cent. In fact, one might express it more strongly 

 and say that the above proportions of forest land are defi- 

 nitely unsuited for hardwood production, since they pro- 

 duce slow-growing, short-boled, defective trees suitable 

 mainly for fuel. 



Thus it is clear that pine in not being grown on those 

 areas best suited to it. The hardwoods are moving into the 

 pine areas just as Nature intended them to do. The rate 

 at which the hardwoods are proceeding in this succession is 

 fully discussed under "Reproduction." 



NATURAL SUCCESSION 



What is Nature's intent in the Piedmont and Coastal 

 Plain? Natural succession may well start with a bare area 

 such as an abandoned field or one exposed by fire. Eco- 

 logists point out, and any observer can see for himself, 

 that the field is first occupied by low grasses such as crab 

 grass. This is followed by the tall weed species and then 

 by broom sedge. The broom sedge forms the perfect nurse 

 for pine reproduction so that in six to ten years most old 

 fields support a fine stand of young pine, if a seed source 

 is nearby. Succession then slows down, the pine may ma- 

 ture with more or less interference from the hardwoods; 

 but as the stand grows older and the pine trees die, one or 

 several at a time, their place is not taken by pine seedlings, 

 but by hardwoods. The hardwoods are more successful in 

 forming an understory and can take over at the expense of 

 the pine. Thus by the time the original pines have passed 

 from the picture, the area is well-stocked with hardwood 

 species that will later form the climatic climax typical 

 of the region. This complete succession may take place 

 naturally in less than 200 years. 



This natural succession has been quite evident on lands 

 owned by the Division of Forestry, N. C. State College. 

 One 80-acre tract of virgin loblolly pine was in the last 

 stages of pine supremacy before being cut. As individual 

 pines died from natural causes their place was being taken 

 by oaks and hickories. 



Stands of Virginia pine show even more rapid deteriora- 

 tion when the trees are mature. Fully stocked stands on old 

 fields may be regenerated, mature, and be displaced by 

 hardwood in a period of 100 years. 



SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM 



It has been pointed out, elsewhere in this report, that 

 present cutting methods tend to hasten this natural suc- 

 cession by removing the overstory of pine. If this is the 

 case, what can be done to keep pine on these areas that 

 are better suited for growing pine than hardwoods? With 

 the present trend toward land stabilization and complete 

 exclusion of fire, how can Nature's challenge be met and 

 this natural succession halted? 



Three recommendations are offered. Dr. C. F. Korstian, 

 Dr. J. V. Hofman, Dr. H. H. Biswell, and others agree on 

 the various points, but not necessarily in their application. 



1. Grazing. It has been observed, and some research has 



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