Counteracting the substantial expansion of pine plantations 
in recent decades is the fact that many pine stands have 
been converted to hardwood types by harvesting the pines 
and allowing the subsequent natural succession of the land 
to mixed pine—hardwoods or hardwoods. Between 1952 and 
1985, for example, the area of natural pine dropped some 
31 million acres, or 43 percent, while upland hardwood 
types increased by 7.8 million acres (app. tables 3.1 and 
382): 
The programs of tree planting in the South have been materi- 
ally aided by an extensive program of research, including, 
for example, investigations on management of tree nurser- 
ies that identified ways of limiting seedling losses from the 
diseases that often wiped out nurseries in the early days. 
Studies of genetic factors have provided guides to selection 
of seeds from trees of superior growth, form, and resistance 
to diseases such as fusiform rust. In 1985, for example, 
over 60 percent of the nursery stock produced in State nurser- 
ies consisted of genetically improved seedlings (app. table 
2.15). All Southern States and many members of southern 
forest industries have established seed orchards, and plant- 
ing of genetically superior stock continues to increase. Se- 
lection and breeding programs underway should soon yield 
further improved second generation planting stock. 
Forestry Research 
Formal research on problems of southern forestry began in 
the 1920’s, when the USDA Forest Service established the 
Southern Forest Experiment Station in New Orleans and the 
Appalachian Forest Experiment Station in Asheville, NC 
(renamed the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station in 
1952). In prior years, some studies of forest and forest in- 
dustry problems pertaining to the South had been conducted, 
including work on wood preservation and naval stores pro- 
duction, but these efforts were of limited extent. 
During the 1920's, the small staffs at the Southern Forest 
Experiment Station began a program of investigations on 
various aspects of timber management, including problems 
of fire control and regeneration of cutover lands. Passage 
of the McSweeney—McNary Forest Research Act in 1928 
gave additional impetus to research on southern forestry 
problems by authorizing increased funding of studies in all 
aspects of forestry. Also in the 1930’s, the slowly expand- 
ing research program in the South was materially aided by 
work of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the beginning 
of long-term cooperation with southern forest industries and 
southern universities. 
Funding 
Funding for forestry research at both southern experiment 
stations increased moderately during the 1930's and 1940's 
but grew rapidly after World War II. Forest Service fund- 
ing rose from about $6.8 million (1982 dollars) in 1950 to 
a level of roughly $25 million in the sixties and seventies 
(fig. 2.6 and app. tables 2.16 and 2.17). Some of these 
funds were allocated to universities for cooperative research 
projects. On the other hand, Forest Service funds have of- 
ten been augmented by substantial financial and other con- 
tributions from State agencies and the forest industries. 
Additional Federal funds are made available for research 
through the MclIntire—Stennis program administered by the 
USDA Cooperative State Research Service. These funds are 
transferred directly to forestry schools in the various 
universities. Similarly, research funds have been made avail- 
able since 1985 through the Forestry Competitive Grants 
Program. Competitive Grants funds are provided through the 
Forest Service’s budget, but the program is administered 
by the Cooperative State Research Service. 
The funding thus made available has supported studies by 
literally hundreds of scientists in many disciplines. Forest 
Service scientists along with researchers in universities and 
other organizations have issued thousands of publications 
providing information on essentially all aspects of southern 
forest and range management and utilization. 
