Recent and Projected Softwood Growth—Removal 
Balances 
As recently as 1976, net annual growth of softwood in the 
South exceeded annual removals by almost 30 percent. By 
1984, this margin had been reduced to less than 10 percent 
because of the decline in growth and continuing increases 
in removals. By 1990, annual removals will exceed net 
annual growth of softwood by 8 percent. By 2000, growth 
and removals again approach a balance. Beyond 2000, 
growth exceeds removals by 5 to 8 percent. 
Most of the deficit occurs on other private land, where by 
1990, annual removals are projected to exceed the net 
annual growth of softwoods by about 24 percent. A small 
overcut on forest industry land is eliminated by 1990. 
Again, most of the deficit develops on natural stands, where 
removals exceed growth throughout the projection period. 
The projected trends in the softwood growth-removal balance 
follow the same general pattern in both the Southeast and 
South Central regions. In the South Central region, the 
growth deficit extends through 2000. 
In the tables, the growth-removal relationships and changes 
in inventories sometime seem inconsistent. Most of these 
inconsistencies are caused by the treatment of timberland 
acquisitions and sales in the projection methods. For 
example, where an owner category is acquiring additional 
timberland, inventory can increase even though removals 
exceed growth. 
Recent and Projected Softwood Inventories 
Inventories of softwood growing stock include the solid 
wood (excludes bark) content, expressed in cubic feet, 
between a 1-foot stump and a 4-inch top diameter, outside 
bark, of all live softwood trees 9.0 inches d.b.h. and larger 
containing at least a 12-foot log, or two noncontiguous 
sawlogs, each 8 feet or longer meeting minimum grade 
requirements with at least one-third of the gross board-foot 
volume between a 1-foot stump and the minimum sawlog 
top (7.0 inches outside bark) being sound. In addition, 
inventories also include the solid wood content between a 
l-foot stump and a 4-inch top diameter of all live softwood 
5.0 inches to 9.0 inches d.b.h. that will prospectively 
qualify under the above standards. All of these softwood 
trees must occur on timberland. 
Southwide Trends 
Between 1952 and 1985, the inventory of softwood growing 
stock in the South increased from 58.2 billion to 101.8 
billion cubic feet, or by 75 percent (table 3.15, fig. 3.27). 
Most of this buildup in inventory occurred in the 1960's 
and 1970’s, when a rapid increase in softwood growth kept 
pace with the increase in softwood removals. In recent 
years, aS growth turned down and removals continued to 
climb, the increase in softwood inventory has begun to 
level off. 
Most of the large increase in softwood inventory between 
1952 and 1985 occurred on other private timberland, where 
softwood inventories rose by more than 84 percent (table 
3.15, fig. 3.27). This increase in softwood inventory on 
other private lands occurred in spite of a significant decline 
in pine acreage. It reflected the timber on millions of acres 
of young pine stands established between about 1945 and 
1965. 
Although forest industries acquired several million addi- 
tional acres of timberland between 1952 and 1985, the 
increase in softwood inventory on industry lands, under 53 
percent, was much less than the increase on other private 
lands. The rapid rate of harvest and conversion of natural 
stands to pine plantations tended to offset part of the buildup 
in inventory on industry land. Over the same period, a 
relatively slow rate of harvest on public lands enabled 
softwood inventories to increase 82 percent. 
The base projections of net annual timber growth and 
removals indicate that the long upward trend in softwood 
inventories in the South has run its course. A 10-percent 
decrease is projected between now and 2000. Most all of 
this reduction occurs on other private timberlands, where 
