96 



TIMBER TRENDS IN THE UNITED STATES 



Continuing shifts in wood markets and in the 

 structure of the forest products industries in the 

 West have tended to offset much of this decUne 

 in timber quality. For example, production and 

 use of construction lumber grades have increased 

 relative to demand for select grades of lumber. 

 Also, much of the spectacular expansion in ply- 

 wood production has been for sheathing grades 

 not requiring high-quality veneer logs. 



mates include (a) growth on trees above 5.0 

 inches in diameter at the beginning of the year, 

 plus (b) the volume of "ingrowth," i.e., the total 

 volume of young timber that becomes measurable 

 during the year by reaching 5.0 inches in diameter 

 for growing stock and 9.0 or 11.0 inches for saw- 

 timber, minus (c) the average annual mortality 

 from natural agents such as fire, insects, and 

 disease. 



TIMBER GROWTH 



Net Annual Sawfimber Growth 

 Up 14 Percent Since 1952 



Net growth along with inventory levels provides 

 a measure of the amount of timber cutting that 

 can be sustained. In young-growth forests in the 

 eastern United States, net growth estimates, less 

 allowances for a desirable buildup of inventories, 

 provide a measure of sustainable cut. In old- 

 growth stands in the West, however, the "allow- 

 able" cut consists mainly of the excess timber in- 

 ventory that may be harvested while reducing 

 inventories to desired levels. 



The growth estimates in this section represent 

 the net annual increment on the 1962 inventory of 

 sawtimber and poletimber trees, using "trend 

 level" growth rates and mortality losses. Esti- 



There has been a general improvement in the 

 timber growth picture in the United States since 

 1952. Net growth of growing stock is estimated 

 to have increased roughly 12 percent in this 

 decade (table 66). Net annual sawtimber growth 

 increased by an estimated 14 percent, or 6.5 

 billion board feet annually to a total of nearly 

 55 billion board feet per year. 



Excepting the Rocky Mountains all sections 

 have shared in the recent increase in net growth 

 in softwoods, but increases have been especially 

 marked in the Pacific Coast States. For these 

 States annual sawtimber growth was estimated 

 to be 27 percent higher in 1962 than in 1952. 



Table 66. — Net annual growth of growing stock and sawtimber, by softwoods and hardwoods and by section, 



1962 







GROWING 



STOCK 















All species 



Softwoods 



Hardwoods 



Section 



Growth 

 1962 



Change since 

 1952 



Growth 

 1962 



Change since 

 1952 



Growth 

 1962 



Change since 

 1952 



North 



South 



Rocky Mountains. - . .. __ 



Million 

 cu. ft. 

 4,830 

 7,470 

 930 

 3,030 



Million 

 cu. ft. 

 + 540 

 + 830 

 -110 

 + 480 



Percent 

 + 13 

 + 12 

 -11 

 + 19 



Million 

 cu. ft. 

 1,040 

 4,360 

 870 

 2,760 



Million 

 cu. ft. 

 + 70 

 + 810 

 -130 

 + 390 



Percent 



+ 7 

 + 23 

 -13 

 + 16 



Million 



cu. ft. 



3,790 



3,110 



60 



270 



Million 



cu. ft. 



+ 470 



+ 20 



+ 20 



+ 90 



Percent 



+ 14 



+ 1 



+ 50 



Pacific coast 



+ 50 



Total 



16,260 



+ 1.740 



+ 12 



9,030 



+ 1,140 



+ 14 



7,230 



+ 600 



+ 9 



SAWTIMBER 



North 



South 



Rocky Mountains. 

 Pacific coast 



Total 



Million 



Million 





Million 



Million 





Million 



Million 



bd. ft. 



bd. ft. 



Percent 



bd. ft. 



bd. ft. 



Percent 



bd. ft. 



bd. ft. 



12,470 



+ 1,860 



+ 18 



2,800 



+ 310 



+ 12 



9,670 



+ 1,550 



25,330 



+ 2,400 



+ 10 



16,950 



+ 2,830 



+ 20 



8,380 



-430 



3,570 



-550 



-13 



3,460 



-610 



-15 



110 



+ 60 



13,480 +2,830 



+ 27 



12,660 



+ 2,510 



+ 25 



820 



+ 320 



54,850 



+ 6,540 



+ 14 



35,870 



+ 5,040 



+ 16 



18,980 



+ 1,500 



Percent 



+ 19 



-5 



+ 120 



+ 64 



+ 9 



