SOUTH CAROLINA FOREST RESOURCES AND INDUSTRIES 



Appendix 



Survey Methods 



THE forest land areas, volume of standing timber, and 

 available forest products were computed by measurements 

 and observations on 24,218 J^-acre sample plots estab- 

 lished at intervals of Y% mile along parallel lines spaced 10 miles 

 apart across the State. The records obtained form the basis 

 for estimating the areas devoted to the various kinds of land use 

 as well as to the volume of forest products. 



To facilitate analysis and use of the data, the State was divided 

 into three survey units, the southern Coastal Plain, excluding the 

 coastal islands of Beaufort County (not included in this report) 

 which comprise an estimated 91,200 acres, the northern Coastal 

 Plain, and the Piedmont Plateau. The figures apply to the 

 whole of each unit and may be considered reasonably accurate, 

 as of the dates shown on the tables and charts, for these units or 

 for areas which approach them in size, but obviously not for 

 smaller tracts. 



Increment 



Measurements for growth calculations were obtained on the in- 

 ventory sample plots by increment borings made in a mechani- 

 cally selected sample of all trees over 3 inches d. b. h. In general, 

 the calculation of growth consisted of determining the volume of 

 small trees that grew to merchantable size during the period 

 covered by the survey and of increasing the sample tree diameters 

 by the measured diameter growth of the past decade. The 

 difference between the present and projected volumes of the 

 sample trees was then expressed as a percentage increase and 

 applied directly to the inventory volume. By this method the 

 growth was computed for the years 1936^0. 



Forest Industries and Commodity Brain 



Data on forest industries and estimates of commodity drain 

 for 1936-40 are based upon canvasses of sawmills, other primary 

 wood-using plants, and domestic wood consumers. A repre- 

 sentative number of domestic consumers were canvassed to 

 determine the quantity of wood consumed directly as fuel, fence 

 posts, and for miscellaneous uses. 



Definition of Terms 



The technical and uncommon terms used in this report, as 

 well as certain common terms given special meaning, are defined 

 as follows: 



Land Use Classes 



Productive forest land. — Forest land having qualities neces- 

 sary for the growth of merchantable saw-timber stands. Land 

 without these qualities is defined as nonproductive. 



Cropland, old and new. — Land used for production of farm or 

 orchard crops, or so used evidently during the past 5 years. 



Abandoned cropland. — Land formerly cultivated but definitely 

 abandoned for agricultural crop production. 



Pasture. — Cleared or open land under fence, used primarily for 

 grazing. 



Other nonjorest land. — Land included within the corporate limits 

 and suburban or industrial sections of cities and communities; 

 power, rail, and highway rights-of-way; marsh, open prairie, and 

 nonmeandered waterways. 



Species Groups 



Softwoods and Hardwoods. — For enumeration of species in 

 each of these groups see below, list of Principal Forest Trees of 

 South Carolina. Softwoods are generally referred to in this 

 report as "pines" because of the predominance of pines in the 

 softwood group. 



Major Forest Types 



Loblolly pine type. — Stands in which pines, loblolly predominat- 

 ing, form at least 25 percent of the dominant and codominant 

 trees. Includes areas on which pond pine predominates (the 

 pond pine type). 



Shortleaf pine types. — Stands in which pines, shortleaf pre- 

 dominating, form at least 25 percent of the dominant and codomi- 

 nant trees. Includes areas, principally on the western piedmont, 

 on which Virginia pine predominates (the Virginia pine type). 



Longleaf pine type. — Stands in which pines, longleaf predomi- 

 nating, form at least 25 percent of the dominant and codominant 

 trees. Includes areas on the southern Coastal Plain on which 

 slash pine predominates (the slash pine type). 



Bottom-land hardwood type. — Stands in which hardwoods, 

 cypress, or mixed hardwoods and cypress form at least 75 percent 

 of the dominant and codominant trees. The hardwoods are 

 chiefly blackgum and sweetgum, associated with tupelo, oaks, 

 and other bottom-land and swamp species. 



Upland hardwood type. — Stands in which hardwoods character- 

 istic of mountain and upland sites form at least 75 percent of the 

 dominant and codominant trees. The hardwoods are of many 

 species, notably oaks, hickories, and yellow-poplar. There are 

 intermixtures of softwoods characteristic of the different parts 

 of the State. 



Diameter Classification 



D. b. h. — Diameter at breast height, outside of bark, 4J^ feet 

 above ground level. 



Diameter class. — All trees were recorded in 2-inch diameter 

 classes, including diameters 1 inch below and 0.9 inch above the 

 stated midpoint: e. g., trees 7 to 8.9 inches in diameter were 

 placed in the 8-inch class. 



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