Recent and Projected Softwood Timber Removals 
Timber removals are defined as all human-caused removals 
of growing stock from the inventory on timberland, based 
on the same merchantability standards used in the inventory. 
In addition to roundwood product output, they include 
logging residue and other removals of growing stock 
associated with land-use changes and timber cultural prac- 
tices. Generally, these trend-level estimates of growing-stock 
removals are based on periodic remeasurements of per- 
manent sample plots at 5- to 10-year intervals. 
Southwide Trends 
Trends in the annual removals of softwood growing stock 
in the South follow a pattern similar to that described for 
softwood roundwood supplies (tables 3.15 and 3.16, fig. 
3.21). Generally, timber products output accounts for 85 
to 90 percent of the annual removals of softwood growing 
stock with the remainder being about equally divided 
between logging residue and other removals. Between 1952 
and 1962, annual removals of softwood growing stock 
decreased by 9 percent, from 3.2 billion to 2.9 billion cubic 
feet. This decrease is attributed to the decline in the output 
of softwood sawlogs during the period and to some 
improvement in utilization. 
Since 1962, annual removals of softwood have increased to 
5.4 billion cubic feet, or by 83 percent. Most of this 
increase can be attributed to increases in softwood product 
output and the logging residue associated with the harvests. 
Timber removals—the volume of timber 
removed from growing stock inventories on 
timberland—include the volume of timber 
cut for products, logging residues (the 
material left in the woods after logging), and 
the timber removed from inventories 
through land-use changes and timber cultural 
practices. 
142 
Still, there are significant quantities of other removals. A 
rapid rate of urban development and other land-use changes 
affecting timberland continue to remove substantial quantities 
of softwood growing stock from the inventory each year. 
In many cases, the trees are not actually cut but are removed 
from the inventory through a change in land-use classifi- 
cation. In addition, substantial amounts of growing stock are 
removed in site preparation and other timber cultural prac- 
tices. Generally, producers require some minimum volume 
per acre for a profitable harvest opportunity. 
Just as with softwood roundwood supplies, well over half 
of the softwood removals still come from other private 
timberland (table 3.15, fig. 3.21). The share from these 
other private lands is decreasing, however, as more of the 
removals come from forest industry lands. Not only are 
forest industries continuing to harvest and convert extensive 
acreages of natural pine stands to pine plantations, they now 
have more merchantable-size plantation timber to harvest on 
their own lands. Over the past 30 years, the share of soft- 
wood removals coming from industry lands has increased 
from 23 to 35 percent, while the share from other private 
lands has declined from 71 to 58 percent. 
By 2000, annual softwood removals in the South are pro- 
jected to increase to 6.1 billion cubic feet, an estimate 13 
percent above current levels. As with the projections of 
softwood supplies, much of this increase is expected to take 
place on forest industry lands, where annual softwood 
removals are projected to increase from 1.9 billion to 2.4 
billion cubic feet, or by 26 percent. A 2-percent increase 
is projected on other private lands. The projections suggest 
a 45-percent increase in softwood removals from public 
timberland between now and 2000. 
Beyond 2000, removals continue to rise until 2020, when 
they reach 6.7 billion cubic feet, 26 percent above 1984 
levels. This is followed by a small decline. 
By forest management type, the most significant change in 
softwood removals in the South has been a shift from 
natural pine stands to pine plantations (table 3.16, fig. 3.22). 
About 13 percent of the softwood removals now come from 
pine plantations, and this share is expected to increase in the 
years ahead. Since 1952, the share of softwood removals 
coming from natural pine stands has decreased from 85 
percent to 63 percent. 
Again, the projected increase in softwood removals occurs 
in pine plantations. Between now and 2000, annual removals 
of softwood from pine plantations are projected to increase 
almost fourfold, from 0.7 billion to 2.6 billion cubic feet. 
Softwood removals from natural pine stands are projected 
