FOREST 



RESOURCES 



O F 



THE 



NORTH-LOUISIANA 



DELTA 



Summary of Findings 



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T 



THE GENERAL SITUATION 



HE land area of the north-Louisiana delta 

 unit ^ is 3,897,000 acres, of which approxi- 

 mately 69 percent is forest land, 29 percent 

 agricultural land, and 2 percent in other uses. 

 The forest area of 2,682,700 acres supports a 

 stand of practically pure hardwood timber. Approx- 

 imately 22 percent bears uncut old growth, 26 

 percent partly cut old growth much of which is at 

 present noncommercial, 31 percent sawlog-size sec- 

 ond growth, and 18 percent under sawlog size sec- 

 ond growth and reproduction. Only 3 percent is 

 clear-cut and nonproductive. 



The total saw-timber volume in trees 13 inches 

 and over d. b. h.^ is 10 billion board feet, according 

 to the International }^-inch log rule, which closely 

 approximates green-lumber tally. Of this volume, 

 it is estimated that about 20 percent is of the species, 

 quality, and stand per acre that are generally at- 

 tractive to commercial operators cutting industrial 

 lumber, cooperage stock, and veneer. Although 

 the remainder is now commercially usefid only for 

 low-grade lumber such as structural material and 

 cross ties, it represents a tremendous potential re- 

 source, pending economic developments and changes 

 in manufacturing and marketing practices. In 

 addition to the 10 billion board feet in good trees, 

 it is estimated that there are between 2}^! and 3 

 billion board feet gross scale in trees that are culled 

 on account of rot, poor form, or other defect. The 

 total cubic volume, not including top wood, in 



1 A forest survey unit is an area of 2 to 10 million acres in 

 which forest, economic, and industrial conditions are rea- 

 sonably homogeneous. The division of a State in this man- 

 ner facilitates analysis and discussion of the forest situation. 



2 D. b. h. ^diameter breast high, i. e., 4^2 feet from the 

 ground. 



good trees is 2,360 million cubic feet in trees 5 

 inches and over d. b. h. 



The 1934 increment of the forest-growing stock 

 was approximately 210 million board feet in saw- 

 log-size material, or, including the stems of all good 

 trees above 5 inches diameter at breast height, 45 

 million cubic feet excluding bark. It is estimated 

 that about 30 percent of the board-foot increment 

 is of species, quality, and stand per acre that are 

 suitable for utilization in the manufacture of indus- 

 trial lumber, cooperage stock, and veneer. 



The total volume removed from the forest in 1934 

 (in trees more than 13 inches d. b. h.) exclusive of 

 natural mortality was 321 million board feet, or 52 

 million cubic feet, with all good trees 5 inches and 

 over in diameter included. It is estimated that 

 nearly 70 percent of the board-foot drain is of 

 species, quality, and stand per acre that are suit- 

 able for utilization in the manufacture of indus- 

 trial lumber, cooperage stock, and veneer. The 

 remainder comes from stands of lower quality and 

 goes largely into fuel wood, railroad cross ties, and 

 structural material. 



Comparison of the board-foot increment with the 

 total board-foot timber drain shows that the drain 

 exceeded the increment by nearly 111 million 

 board feet in 1934. The drain from stem wood of 

 all good trees 5 inches and larger in diameter was 

 7 million cubic feet more than the corresponding 

 increment. 



In 1934 logging operations and the manufacture 

 of logs into lumber, veneer, cooperage stock, and 

 similar primary forest products supplied employ- 

 ment to approximately 3,750 full-time workers. 



ANALYSIS 



Excluding the 577,600 acres of uncut, old-growth 

 timberland, the forest area is characterized by 



