PRODUCTIVITY OF RECENTLY CUT LANDS 



251 



on the other 24 percent of the operating area 

 where both large and small products were removed. 



Nearly a third of recently cut lands in the North 

 were cut for small products primarily. Over a 

 half of such lands in medium and large private 

 ownerships were cut for small products. This is 

 in sharp contrast to the South and West. A part 

 of the reason for this contrast is the large area in 

 the North and particularly the Lake States of 

 species such as aspen, black spruce, and balsam, 

 which mature at cordwood rather tlian sawtimber 

 sizes. Such species are suitable primarily for 

 pulpwood. 



In both the North and South, higher proportions 

 of recently cut lands were cut for a combination 

 of large and small products on national forest and 

 on other public lands than on other types of 

 ownership. 



Highest Productivity on Integrated 

 Operations 



With some exceptions, integrated operations 

 harvesting both large and small logs and bolts 

 from the same cutting area are usually considered 

 to be associated with advanced forest practices. 

 This is generally substantiated by the results 

 shown in table 146. Nationally, for all owner- 

 ships, 73 percent of recently cut lands were in 

 the upper productivity class where both large and 

 small products were harvested. This exceeds 

 the productivity resulting from harvest of a 

 single size class of product, either large or small. 



Integrated operations result in greater pro- 

 ductivity on medium and large private ownerships, 

 the national forests, and other public lands. 

 However, on small private ownerships, the pro- 

 portion of recently cut lands in the upper pro- 

 ductivity class is at about the same low level 

 whether the cutting removes large products 

 primarily, small products, or both. 



Harvest of small products primarily results in 

 greater productivity than does harvest of large 

 products on medium and large private ownerships 

 and on other public lands. This is probably due 

 to the growing tendency tc harvest small products 

 by thinning or partial cutting in stands of pole- 

 timber. Apparently the cutting methods used 

 in harvesting products of large size primarily are 

 less effective in maintaining productivity of 

 recently cut areas. 



On small private ownerships, 40 percent of land 

 recently cut for small products is in the upper 

 productivity class compared to 39 percent for other 

 product size classes. This distinction is probably 

 not significant. The amoimt of cutting for small 

 products primarily is negligible on national forests 

 and no valid comparison can be made. 



Table 146. — Productivity of recently cut lands ' 

 in the United States and Coastal Alaska, by 

 ownership class and size class of products harvested, 

 1953 







Proportion of 



operat- 







ing 



area by pro- 



Ownenship class ^ aiid 



Operat- 



ductivity class 



class of products cut 



ing' 

 area 





















Upper 



Medium 



Lower 





Million 









Small private: 



acres 



Percent 



Percent 



Percent 



Large products 



47 



39 



38 



23 



Both large and smalL 



13 



39 



35 



26 



Small products 



14 



40 



26 



34 



Medium and large pri- 











vate: 











Large products 



37 



69 



24 



/ 



Both large and smalL 



12 



85 



12 



3 



Small products 



16 



73 



22 



5 



Xational forest: 











Large products 



52 



82 



14 



4 



Both large and small. 



13 



85 



15 







Small products 



Other public: 



1 



100 















Large products 



17 



77 



19 



4 



Both large and smalL 



10 



87 



13 



{') 



Small products 



3 



86 



11 



3 



All owners: 











Large products 



153 



65 



24 



11 



Both large and smalL 



48 



73 



19 



8 



Small products 



34 



61 



22 



17 



' During j^eriod .Januarv 1, 1947, to date of examination 

 1953 or 1954. 



' Size class of private ownership based on total com- 

 mercial forest land in the ownership. Small, 3-5,000 

 acres in the E]ast; 10-5,000 acres in the West. Medium, 

 5,000-50,000 acres. Large, 50,000 acres and larger. 



2 Operating area on an individual ownership is the 

 combined area of the forest types, within an ownership, 

 in which some recent cutting occurred. The operating 

 area of any size class or type of ownership is the sum of the 

 operating areas on individual ownerships in that size 

 class or type of ownership. Figures exclude operating 

 area on some large ownerships to which access was denied. 



* Less than 0.5 percent. 



CONDITIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR 

 LOW PRODUCTIVITY 



In the preceding pages, a general picture of the 

 productivity of recently cut lands has been 

 presented by size class and type of ownership, 

 and the major variations related to geographical 

 location, class of ownership, and other factors 

 have been explored. Next will be identified the 

 key conditions on these recently cut lands re- 

 sponsible for failures to meet standards of the 

 upper productivity class. 



This will be accomplished by separate appraisal 

 of the proportion of recently cut lands in the 

 upper productivity class when measured on the 

 basis of each individual rating element. Thus, 

 the proportion of recently cut lands in the upper 

 productivity class will be discussed when stocking 



