Loblolly pine 
47% 
y Other softwoods 3% 
Cypress 6% 
Shortleaf pine / Other yellow pines 3% 
19% 8 Virginia pine 5% 
Slash pine Longleaf pine 6% 
11% 
Figure 3.30—Percentage distribution of softwood growing 
stock on timberland in the South, by species, 1985 
wood growing stock. Loblolly pine alone accounts for about 
41 percent of the total softwood. Cypress accounts for 
about 8 percent of the softwood growing stock. Most of this 
cypress is in bottomland hardwood stands, where it makes 
up approximately 70 percent of the softwood volume. Cur- 
rently, more than 30 percent of the softwood inventory in 
the Southeast is in Georgia (fig. 3.31). 
Softwood inventories in the Southeast are near their peak 
and are projected to decline by 1990 as removals exceed net 
growth. When all ownerships are combined, the decline is 
rather modest and short lived. The softwood inventory falls 
from 50.5 billion to 45.9 billion cubic feet between 1985 
and 2000 and then increases to 53.3 billion cubic feet by 
2030. These overall trends, however, mask a significant 
reduction in softwood inventories on other private land. 
On other private land, the inventory of softwood has already 
started to decline and is projected to drop to about 25.3 
billion cubic feet by 2010, about 23 percent below the 
current level. A 33-percent increase in the inventory on 
forest industry land over this same period partially offsets 
this large reduction. Currently, the inventory on forest 
industry land comprises about 22 percent of the total. By 
2010, this proportion approaches 32 percent. 
Even greater changes are projected among the distributions 
of softwood inventory by management type. Currently, the 
inventory of softwood in pine plantations accounts for 16 
percent of the total. This proportion is projected to increase 
to 34 percent by 2000 and to 54 percent by 2030. 
Trends in the South Central Region 
Softwood growing stock inventories rose rapidly from 1952 
to 1977 in the South Central region (app. tables 3.22 and 
3.36). Volume gains averaged 1.0 billion cubic feet per 
year. The situation has changed greatly since 1977, and 
although the 1985 estimate of 51.4 billion cubic feet is 
above the 1977 estimate, softwood inventories have probably 
peaked. 
Inventory trends through 1977 were similar for all owners. 
Since 1977, softwood inventories have risen for all owner- 
ship groups except national forest, forest industry, and 
farmer (app. table 3.22). Declines in the national forests 
were due to reclassification of some forest land to 
productive-reserved status. On forest industry land, the 
declines are attributed to the rapid harvesting and con- 
version of natural stands to plantations. Softwood inventory 
declines on farmer-owned timberland have primarily 
resulted from land transfers to other ownership groups. 
Softwood inventories for the natural forest types all show 
similar trends of rapidly increasing volume through 1977, 
and relatively little change between 1976 and 1984. Pine 
plantation softwoods have increased from insignificant in 
1952 to about 11 percent of all softwood growing stock in 
1985 (app. table 3.36). Currently, more than 20 percent of 
the softwood inventory in the South Central region is in 
Alabama (fig. 3.32). 
Overall softwood inventory trends portray a maturing 
timber resource, the South’s third forest (fig. 3.33). The 
average softwood volume per acre on softwood types has 
risen from 442 cubic feet in 1952 to 1,008 cubic feet in 
1985. The big stocking increase occurred primarily on the 
50 million acres of pine and mixed pine—hardwood present 
in the South Central region in 1962. Virtually all of this 
land had been heavily cut over. 
Ten years ago the softwood inventory was increasing across 
all diameter classes. Recent surveys show growing stock 
volume declines in the 6-inch and 8-inch classes, and in 
some areas volume declines have reached the larger size 
classes. Volume declines will likely continue until recent 
increases in planting activity and management intensity 
compensate for declining numbers of small trees. 
Prospective declines in softwood inventories in the South 
Central region are slightly greater than those projected for 
the Southeast. The overall decline also extends out to 2010. 
Between 1985 and 2010, the inventory of softwood in the 
South Central region decreases from 51.4 billion to 45.4 
161 
