ment alternatives (e.g., 

 Larson and Goforth 1974). 

 C. Mesavage and J.W. 

 Girard (1946) developed 

 volume tables for estimating 

 the board foot and cubic 

 foot contents of standing 

 timber. Many other perma- 

 nent and temporary survey 

 staff members contributed 

 by interpreting aerial photos, 

 measuring field plots, com- 

 piling inventory growth and 

 utilization data, and publish- 

 ing reports. 



Cooperators in State 

 forestry agencies and in 

 forest industries likewise 

 made very substantial 

 contributions of money, 

 field crews, or other assis- 

 tance to speed up and 

 intensify the survey pro- 

 gram. The major study 

 entitled "The South's Third 

 Forest" (Southern Forest 

 Resource Analysis Commit- 

 tee 1969), prepared by P.A. 

 Wheeler under industry 

 sponsorship, also illustrated 

 the value of survey data for 

 evaluation and development 

 of forestry programs. This 

 analysis traced the develop- 

 ment of forestry practices 

 in the South and identified 

 measures needed to assure 

 adequate timber supplies 



for the expanding wood 

 industries in the region. 



During the Korean War of 

 the early 1950's, special 

 analyses of timber resource 

 data for different parts of 

 the South helped determine 

 the adequacy of timber 

 supplies for new industrial 

 plant capacity, particularly 

 for expanded pulp and 

 paper production. Other 

 surveys of equipment re- 

 quirements of the forest 

 industries provided essen- 

 tial data for defense plan- 

 ning. Also in the 1950's, 

 cooperative surveys with 

 the Forest Products Labora- 

 tory provided information 

 on the range in specific 

 gravity of wood in southern 

 pine trees. Subsequently, 

 inventories to determine 

 weights and volumes of 

 both timber and other 

 vegetation furnished a 

 measure of the potential 

 availability of biomass for 

 energy production. 



Significant progress also 

 has been made in broaden- 

 ing surveys to encompass 

 nontimber resources and 

 uses (USDA Forest Service 

 1978b). As early as 1959, 

 studies were undertaken to 

 obtain data on range owner- 



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