PRODUCTIVITY OF RECENTLY CUT LANDS 



249 



sawtimber. Poletimber stands left after cutting 

 may result either from partial cutting in stands 

 which were poletimber prior to cutting or from a 

 substantial clear cutting of all sawtimber in stands 

 of mixed sizes. 



The productivity of residiial seedling and sap- 

 ling stands as compared to that of sawtimber 

 stands reveals the relative efficiency of clear cut- 

 ting and partial as now applied, in maintaining 

 the productivity of recently cut lands. Residual 

 poletimber stands are of little value in such a 

 comparison since they may result either from 

 partial cuttings or substantial clear cuttings. 



Productivity Generally Highest for 

 Residual Sawtimber 



For all regions combined, 78 percent of the 

 sawtimber stands left on recently cut lands was 

 found to be in the upper productivity class, as 

 compared to 58 percent for seedling and sapling 

 stands (table 144). In both the North and South, 

 over 80 percent of the sawtimber stands left on 

 recently cut areas was in the upper class. Much 

 lower percentages of seedling and sapling stands 

 in these two sections occurred in the upper class. 

 The spread in productivity between the two stand 

 size classes in the West was much less — 75 percent 

 for sawtimber stands as compared to 80 percent 

 for seedlings and saplings. Thus, partial cutting 

 as currently applied is generally superior to the 

 methods of clear cutting now used in the North 

 and South. In the West, the two methods are 

 about equally effective in maintaining productiv- 



ity of recently cut lands, clear cutting being per- 

 haps slightly the more effective. 



Both clear cutting and partial cutting methods 

 have a place in American forestry. Either of 

 these contrasting methods of cutting can maintain 

 recently cut lands in a high state of productivity 

 provided the method chosen is appropriate for the 

 forest type, the vigor and age class of timber, and 

 other conditions prevailing on the area to be cut 

 over. Although clear cutting has resulted in 

 lower productivity than has partial cutting in 

 several important regions and classes of owner- 

 ship, this does not imply that clear cutting is in- 

 advisable in such areas. Major causes of low 

 productivity after clear cutting appear to be fail- 

 ure to provide adequate seed sources, seedbed, or 

 other conditions on recently cut lands. 



Lowest Productivity in Seedling and 

 Sapling Stands of Small Eastern 

 Ownerships 



In each of the three sections of the country, the 

 productivity of both sawtimber and seedling and 

 sapling stands on recently cut lands of small 

 private ownerships is lower than on other classes of 

 ownership. Neither clear cutting nor partial cut- 

 ting methods are applied as effectively on small 

 private holdings as on other ownership classes. 

 However, the lowest productivity was found to 

 result from clear cutting on small ownerships of 

 the North and South and from partial cutting on 

 small ownerships of the West. Since 246 million 

 acres or 50 percent of the commercial forest land 



Table 144. — Percent of recently cut lands ' in the upper productivity class, in the United States and 

 Coastal Alaska, by ownership class, section, and stand size class, 1953 





Ownership class 



Section and stand size class ^ 



Small 

 private 



Medium and 



large 



private 



National 

 forest 



Other 

 public 



All owner- 

 ships 



North: 



Sawtimber 



71 

 35 



51 



28 



34 

 55 



95 

 44 



88 

 77 



73 

 85 



94 

 72 



95 

 81 



78 

 83 



82 

 84 



91 

 58 



70 



82 



83 



Seedlings and saplings _ . . _ - 



55 



South: 



Sawtimber 



84 



Seedlings and saplings 



44 



West: 



Sawtimber 



75 



Seedlings and saplings 



80 



Coastal Alaska: 



Sawtimber . _ . . . _ 





Seedlings and saplings. 







87 



81 



82 



100 



74 

 81 



89 



Total, all regions: 



Sawtimber - _ _ 



58 

 32 



85 

 69 



78 



Seedlings and-saplings _ _ . _ 



58 







1 During period Jan. 1, 1947, to time of examination in 

 1953 or 1954. 



2 Seedling and sapling class includes areas of prospective 

 stocking. 



