480 



TIMBER RESOURCES FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE 



about 7.5 billion cubic feet of growing stock or 34 

 percent of the total in 2000. 



The comparisons just made show the changes in 

 relative use of the species groups which are antici- 

 pated by demand projections. Additional com- 

 parisons between the timber cut for 1952 and 

 timber removal for 1975 and 2000 indicate the 

 changes in timber removal needed to supply 

 projected demands. 



If medium demands for sawtimber are to be 

 supplied, timber removal of all species will need 

 to exceed 1952 timber cut by 40 percent in 1975 

 and by 116 percent in 2000 (table 284). Corre- 

 sponding increases needed to supply lower pro- 

 jected demands are 20 percent in 1975 and 63 

 percent in 2000. 



Timber removal of eastern hardwood sawtimber 

 under medium projected demands exceeds 1952 

 timber cut by 51 percent in 1975 and by 141 

 percent m 2000. These percentage increases are 

 larger than those for either eastern softwoods or 

 western species. A similar relation exists for 

 lower projected demands. This relation results 

 from changes anticipated in relative use of the 

 three species groups. For example, demand 

 projections translated to timber removal indicate 

 that relative use of eastern hardwoods increases 

 from 25 percent of timber cut in 1952 to 28 percent 

 of timber removal in 2000 while relative use of 

 eastern softwoods and western species combined 

 declines from 75 percent of timber cut in 1952 to 

 72 percent of timber removal in 2000 (table 284). 



Large increases in timber removal of eastern 

 softwood sawtimber are also indicated. Under 

 medium demands, timber removal exceeds 1952 

 timber cut by 28 percent and 135 percent in 1975 

 and 2000, respectively. Corresponding increases 

 under lower demands are 11 percent in 1975 and 

 77 percent in 2000. 



Under medium demands, the increase in timber 

 removal of western species — 41 percent more than 

 .1952 timber cut — is considerably greater than the 

 increase indicated for eastern softwoods. By 2000 

 the increase of 90 percent for western species is 

 much less than the corresponding increase indi- 

 cated for both eastern softwoods and eastern hard- 

 woods. This change in relations between 1975 and 

 2000 reflects the changing ability of the species 

 groups to support removal. 



Under lower demands increases in timber 

 removal of western species over 1952 timber cut 

 are 22 percent and 43 percent for 1975 and 2000, 

 respectively. The relation between these increases 

 for westei'n species and those for eastern softwoods 

 and eastern hardwoods are similar to the relations 

 existing under medium projected demands. 



Comparisons between timber removal and 1952 

 timber cut of growing stock are similar to those 

 for sawtimber, both as to magnitude of increases 

 indicated and in the relations between species 

 groups. 



Needed Growth Much Larger Than 

 Growth in 1952 



Medium Projections 



For all species groups combined, the growth of 

 sawtimber needed to sustain medium projected 

 demands in 1975 is 44 percent more than the 1952 

 net growth of. 47.4 billion board-feet (table 285). 

 The increase in needed growth by 2000 is 122 per- 

 cent of growth in 1952. With these increases, 

 industrial wood could hold its present position in 

 the national economy, per capita consumption 

 would rise, and trends in future prices of timber 

 products would be generally parallel to trends in 

 prices of competing materials. 



Although needed growth of eastern hardwood 

 sawtimber in 1975 is slightly less than 1952 growth, 

 an increase of 52 percent will be required by 2000 

 (fig. 133). Growth of eastern softwoods needs to 

 increase 66 percent by 1975 and 154 percent by 

 2000. The largest increases needed are for the 

 western species — 92 percent and 194 percent in 

 1975 and 2000, respectively. 



Table 285. — Relation of needed growth in 1975 

 and 2000 to net growth in 1952, by levels oj demand 

 and species groups ^ 





Sawtimber 



Growing stock 



Item 



Need- 

 ed 

 growth 



Change 

 from 

 1952 



Need- 

 ed 

 growth 



Change 

 from 

 1952 



Medium level demand: 

 1975: 



Eastern hardwoods. __ 



Eastern softwoods 



Western species 



Bil- 

 lion 

 bd.-ft. 

 18.3 

 28.2 

 21. 7 



Percent 



-4 



+ 66 



+ 92 



Bil- 

 lion 

 cu. ft. 

 4. 5 

 5.7 

 4. 4 



Percent 

 -36 

 + 30 



+ 57 



All species 



68.2 



+ 44 



14. 6 



+ 3 



2000: 



Eastern hardwoods. __ 



Eastern softwoods 



Western species 



29. 1 

 43. 1 

 33.2 



+ 52 

 + 154 

 + 194 



7.3 

 8.3 

 6. 4 



+ 4 



+ 89 



+ 129 



All species 



105. 4 



+ 122 



22. 



+ 55 



Lower level demand: 

 1975: 



Eastern hardwoods 



Eastern softwoods 



Western species 



15. 6 

 24. 4 

 18.8 



-18 

 + 44 

 + 66 



4. 1 



5. 

 3. 9 



-41 

 + 14 

 + 39 



All species 



58.8 



+ 24 



13.0 



-8 



2000: 



Eastern hardwoods 



Eastern softwoods 



Western species 



22. 

 32. 3 

 25.0 



+ 15 



+ 90 



+ 121 



6. 

 6.8 

 5.2 



-14 

 + 55 

 + 86 



All species 



79. 3 



+ 67 



18. 



+ 27 



» See table 281 for growth in 1952 and realizable growth. 



