being planted in the "Western Plateau region, chiefly 

 on State-owned land. 



Most of the redcedar-hardwood type is scattered 

 on the limestone knobs and rock outcroppings bor- 

 dering the Bluegrass region and throughout the 

 Western Plateau. This type is not commercially 

 important at present. Although some redcedai- is 

 cut for fence posts, only a small volume is in trees 

 large enough to produce sawlogs. This species is 

 usually associated with noncommercial or poor- 

 quality hardwoods. 



More than 80 percent of the area of bottom-land 

 hardwoods type is in the Western Plateau region, 

 and occins mainly on the flood plains of the larger 

 streams (fig. 17). The principal species found in this 

 type include sweetgum, sycamore, elm, hickory, soft 

 maple, ash, cottonwood, and various oaks. The 

 locally important container-veneer industry de- 

 pends upon the soft-hardwood species fotmd grow- 

 ing in this type. 



About two-thirds of the area of the beech-maple 

 type is found in the Western Plateau region. Half 

 of the area in this type is classified as large saw- 

 timber. Much of the timber, especially the beech, is 

 in large overmature trees that were left by earlier 

 loggers. 



Stand-Size Classes 



The distribution of forest area by stand-size class 

 is important because, in general, the present saw- 

 timber must carry the dependent industries until 

 the poletimber grows to sawtimber size. Considering 

 the State as a whole, 43 percent (5 million acres) of 

 the forest area now bears sawtimber stands (fig. 18). 

 Of this area, 23^ million acres support large saw- 



FlGURE 17.— Jill liiilluin-ialni ixpc nilllis uu CXCCllcilt sites 



-where tree growth is rapid. Good management practices 

 could improve the species composition and growth of many 

 bottom-land stands such as this of blackgum, hickoiy, and 

 oak found along Pond River in McLean Countx. 



timber, that is, stands having at least one-half of the 

 board-foot vohune in trees 15 inches d.b.h. or 

 larger. 



More than 60 percent of the large sawtimber area 

 is in the mountainous Eastern Highlands region. 

 The Western Plateau region has abotu 35 percent 

 of the large sawtimber area. The rest is in the Blue- 

 grass region. 



STAND-SIZE CLASS 



AREA 



LARGE SAWTIMBER 

 SMALL SAWTIMBER 

 POLETIMBER 

 SEEDLING a SAPLING 

 NONSTOCKED 



1 







1 









1 







': 





1 1 





-«• ■ * . 



1 















TOTAL 











lU MILLION ACRES 1 



















( 



3 1 2 3 4 5 



MILLION ACRES 



Figure 18.— Commercial for- 

 est area of Kculuckx l'\ 

 stand-size classes. 



14 



Forest Resource Report No. 7, U. S. Deparhneut of Agriculttire 



