As a result of these trends, softwood timber removals are 

 above net annual growth until the early 1990's. and timber 

 inventories decrease until after 2000. Then, as net annual 

 growth increases and goes above removals, softwood timber 

 inventories increase: but at the end of the projection period, 

 they are still below the level reached in 1985. 



Although the net annual growth of hardwoods is declining, 

 growth exceeds timber removals until the late 1990's (fig. 



8). And even though net annual hardwood growth starts to 

 go up after 2010, it remains substantially below removals. 

 As a result, hardwood timber inventories start to decline 

 after 2000 and continue to do so through the rest of the 

 projection period. 



The trends in inventories mean that the forest industries in 

 the South will be facing intensifying competition for timber 

 in the future. Declining inventories also mean that the 



Billion cubic feet 



1 - 



Net annual growth 



Removals 



1950 



1960 



1970 



1980 



1990 



2000 



2010 



2020 



2030 



Figure 8 — Hardwood net annual growth and timber removals in the South, 1952-84. with projections to 2030 



21 



