26 



MISSISSIPPI S FOREST RESOURCES AND INDUSTRIES 



and replacing it with hardwoods of lower value (fig. 

 27). Protection against grazing damage is often a 

 factor to be weighed along with fire protection, espe- 

 cially in south Mississippi, since unrestricted grazing 

 may be as important as fire in limiting the establish- 

 ment and early growth of stands. 



Under the classification system used (the basis for 

 rating management is explained in the appendix, 

 p. 57). little more than a fourth of Mississippi's pri- 



vate forest land management rates fair or better; 

 nearly three-fourths rates poor or worse (table 3). 

 These findings go far to explain the deterioration in 

 the forest resource recorded by the Forest Survey. 



South Mississippi, with 44 percent of its private 

 forest management rated fair, good, or excellent, shows 

 up better than the rest of the State (fig. 28). This 

 throws light on the resource trends, the fact that south 

 Mississippi has been making some gains in growing 



Figure 26. — With effective 

 fire protection, loblolly pine 

 reproduction is growing up 

 in this stand. 



