FOREST LAND AND TIMBER RESOURCES 



93 



QUALITY OF EASTERN TIMBER 



Sawlog Grades 



No. 2 m 



No. 3 m 

 Ungraded 



Sawlogs 



-S Pole Timber & Upper Stems 



o 

 o 

 5 



^ Culls 



woods used for lumber or veneer. Even though 

 many small-size hardwood trees are being pulped, 

 inventories of larger timber are essential to main- 

 tain the competitive position of most forest in- 

 dustries. At present, however, only 11 percent of 

 the total volume of eastern hardwoods is in trees 

 19 inches and larger (table 65 and fig. 41). 



Qualify Less Critical for 

 Eastern Softwoods 



The quality situation for eastern softwoods is 

 in general better than for hardwoods, partly 



Sawlogs 



-S Pole Timber & Upper Stems 



o 



I Culls 



I 



20 40 60 80 100 120 



billion cubic feet 



Figure 40 



This hardwood log-grade pattern, also illustrated 

 in figure 40, is largely a reflection of the small size 

 of most hardwood timber and high-gi'ading prac- 

 tices that remove only the better quality trees. 

 Because small trees can produce only lower grade 

 logs, a preponderance of lower grade material in 

 the inventory must be expected even under in- 

 tensive management. However, the present log- 

 grade distribution is far from that needed to sup- 

 port strong forest industries. 



Supplies of Large 

 Hardwoods Limited 



Timber size is a significant factor with all species 

 because larger trees are cheaper to log and process, 

 and tend to have higher product value than 

 smaller tree sizes. The factor of log and tree 

 size is particularly important in the case of hard- 



VOLUME OF SELECTED HARDWOODS 

 BY DIAMETER CLASS 



4 - 



2 - 



Select White and Red Oaks 



3 



>- 



Yellow Birch, Hard Maple, Ash, 

 Walnut, and Black Cherry 



Sweetgum and Yellow-Poplar 



ml 



5,0 



9.0 



110 13.0 



15.0 



to 



to 



to to 



to 



9.0 



11.0 



13.015.0 



19.0 



19.0 



Diameter Class (inches) 



Figure 41 



