FOREST REGIONS 



ROCKY MT. 

 FOREST 



7?n HARDWOOD 

 -^ FOREST 



F^ SOUTHERN 

 ^^ FOREST 



NORTH ERM 

 FOREST 



Figure 6. — What tree species characterize the six principal forest regions into which Nature 

 has divided the United States? 



and 89 percent of the temperate hardwood forests are in the North Tem- 

 perate Zone. 



Distribution of forests in the United States. — Nearly one- third of the con- 

 tinental land area of the United States is forested land of one sort or another; 

 in the days of the pioneers, it was nearly one-half. Nature has divided 

 our country into six principal forest regions (fig. 6). 



The northern forest region was the first land to be logged, so it now con- 

 tains comparatively little old growth. White pine was the first important 

 forest contributor to the settler's needs in this region. It supplied this 

 country with timber, and furnished Great Britain with masts and spars 

 during the Colonial period. Spruce, the king of pulpwoods, and fir now 

 occupy more than one-third of the total forest area of this region. 



The hardwood region covers a large part of the central area of the eastern 

 half of the United States. Its species include the maples, oaks, and hick- 

 ories, in variety and abundance. On the better soils grow yellow poplars, 

 or tuliptrees, and black walnut. 



The southern forest region has the largest acreage still producing timber 

 and gives promise of extensive production of pulpwood. Its yellow pine 

 is the only remaining important source of large-timber production in the 

 eastern half of the United States. Longleaf and slash pines are the prin- 

 cipal southern pulpwood species. Cypress, tupelo, sweetgum, ash, and other 

 commercially important hardwoods grow naturally in the river bottoms of 

 this region and represent one of the most important sources of our present 

 hardwood supply. 



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