A SUMMARY OF THE TIMBER RESOURCE REVIEW 93 



Table 56. — Timber growth, 1952, realizable growth, needed growth, and projected growth 





Growing stock 



Live sawtimber 



Item 





















Total 



Eastern 



Eastern 



Western 



Total 



Eastern 



Eastern 



Western 







hardwood 



softwood 



species 





hardwood 



softwood 



species 





Billion 



Billion 



Billion 



Billion 



Billion 



Billion 



Billion 



Billion 





cu. ft. 



cu. ft. 



cu. ft. 



cu. ft. 



hd.-ft. 



hd.-ft. 



hd.-ft. 



hd.-ft. 



Net annual growth, 1952 



14.2 



7.0 



4. 4 



2.8 



47. 4 



19. 1 



17. 



11.3 



Realizable growth 



27.5 



10. 2 



9.7 



7.6 



100.7 



30. 5 



39. 6 



30.6 



Needed growth: 



















Lower projected demand: 



















1975 



13.0 



4. 1 



5.0 



3.9 



58.8 



15. 6 



24. 4 



18.8 



2000 



18. 



6. 



6.8 



5.2 



79.3 



22.0 



32.3 



25. 



Medium projected demand: 



















1975 



14. 6 



4. 5 



5.7 



4. 4 



68.2 



18.3 



28. 2 



21.7 



2000_-. 



22. 



7.3 



8.3 



6. 4 



105. 4 



29. 1 



43. 1 



33. 2 



Projected growth: 





Lower projected demand: 



















1975 



18. 2 



9. 1 



5. 4 



3. 7 



61. 1 



24. 1 



20.7 



16.3 



2000 



19. 1 



9. 4 



5.5 



4. 2 



66. 7 



25. 6 



23.0 



18. 1 



Medium projected demand: 





1975 



16. 9. 



8.7 



4. 6 



3.6 



58.6 



22. 6 



20. 1 



15. 9 



2000 



12. 2 



7.9 



. 6 



3.7 



25. 2 



12.2 



(') 



13.0 







• Negligible. 



medium timber demands in 2000. Also significant 

 are the growth increases needed for western species 

 which are larger percentagewise than are the 

 needed increases for either eastern hardwoods or 

 eastern softwoods. 



In terms of growing stock, needed growth of all 

 species to meet medium timber demands in 1975 

 would be only slightly more than 1952 growth, 

 but by 2000 a 55-percent increase would be needed. 

 Growing-stock growth of eastern softwoods would 

 need to increase over 1952 rates in order to meet 

 either lower or medium timber demands in both 

 1975 and 2000 (table 56). Percentage increases 

 for western species are greater than for either of 

 the eastern species groups. 



Table 57. — Relation of needed growth of sawtimber 

 to 1952 growth 





Change in growth from 1952 growth 



Species group 



1975 



2000 





Lower 

 projected 

 demand 



Medium 

 projected 

 demand 



Lower 

 projected 

 demand 



Medium 

 projected 

 demand 



Eastern hardwoods. 

 Eastern softwoods . 

 Western species 



Percent 

 -18 

 + 44 

 + 66 



Percent 



-4 



+ 66 



+ 92 



Percent 



+ 15 



+ 90 



+ 121 



Percent 

 + 52 

 + 154 

 + 194 



All species 



+ 24 



+ 44 



+ 67 



+ 122 



Per capita 



-9 



+ 5 



-4 



+ 27 



The needed sawtimber growth increases of 67 

 and 122 percent for all species in 2000 (table 57) 

 seem very large. When considered on a per capita 

 basis, however, they appear in different perspec- 

 tive. For example, even if growth were increased 

 67 percent over 1952 to meet the lower timber 

 demand by 2000, this would correspond to a 4- 

 percent per capita decrease. Even in 1975 the 

 24-percent increase in needed sawtimber growth 

 over 1952 to meet the lower timber demand would 

 be equivalent to a 9-percent per capita decrease. 

 To meet medium, timber demand, the 122-percent 

 increase by 2000 on a per capita basis becomes a 

 27-percent increase (table 57). 



The reasonableness of the estimates of needed 

 growth therefore is more readily apparent when 

 they are expressed on a per capita basis. It would 

 certainly seem that the growth needed to sustain 

 medium timber demands by 2000 is attainable 

 when it means only growing about 25 percent 

 more sawtimber per person than was grown in 

 1952 and when it is recalled that the needed 

 growth is about the same amount as would be 

 grown if the commercial forest lands were managed 

 in about the same way on the average as are the 

 better managed lands today. 



Needed Growth and Timber Removal 

 Unbalanced by Species Groups 



Needed growth is synonymous with timber re- 

 moval insofar as national totals of hardwoods and 

 softwoods are concerned. But timber removal 

 and needed growth are not the same with respect 

 to individual species groups because ability to 

 support removal throughout the projection period 



