land. By forest management type, 64 percent occurred in 
upland hardwood and mixed pine—hardwood stands. 
Collectively, oaks account for almost 40 percent of the 
hardwood growth in the region and gums, 20 percent. 
Yellow-poplar, a major species throughout most of the 
region, accounts for 16 percent of the hardwood growth. 
Net annual growth of hardwood growing stock in the South- 
east is projected to decrease from 2.2 billion to 1.7 billion 
cubic feet, or by 25 percent, between now and 2010. 
Hardwood growth is then projected to turn back up slightly, 
toward the end of the projection period. Declines take place 
in every ownership class except corporate and other private. 
No significant change is projected in the proportion of 
hardwood growth between the major hardwood types. 
Trends in the South Central Region 
The most recent forest surveys in the South Central region 
have shown a significant decline in hardwood net annual 
growth. Hardwood growth rose steadily from 1952 to 1976 
and appears to have reached a peak between 1976 and 
1984 (app. tables 3.50 and 3.64). Hardwood ingrowth on 
cutover timberland and cropland and pasture reversions 
were strong up to the mid 1970’s, and with removals 
relatively low, the growing stock inventory increased. 
Between 1976 and 1984, net annual growth of hardwood 
declined 9 percent on other private timberland. Forest 
industry timberland showed a decrease of 3 percent, and 
public timberland an increase of 3 percent. 
Hardwood growth is declining the most on bottomland 
hardwood types. Hardwood growth on upland hardwood 
types is still slowly increasing. This increase accompanies 
a continual shifting of land to the upland hardwood type from 
two sources: cropland and pasture reversions, and cutover 
pine types that are not regenerated to pine. 
Currently, about 41 percent of an average of 540,000 acres 
of cropland and pasture reverting each year to timberland 
are classified hardwood during the first 10 years. Some of 
the upland hardwood acreage shifts to oak—pine, natural 
pine, or pine plantations by about age 15. The other major 
source of new hardwood-type acreage, cutover pine lands, 
provides an additional 560,000 acres per year, for a total 
influx of 780,000 acres of new hardwood stands annually. 
Increased hardwood mortality has also contributed to the 
downturn in hardwood growth. Based on recent surveys, 
hardwood mortality increased by 53 percent between 1976 
and 1984. In addition to mortality, damage from disease, 
weather, and other destructive forces has caused an increase 
in the number of growing stock trees becoming rough or 
rotten culls. Cull increment causes a loss of 140 million 
cubic feet annually. Losses to mortality and cull increment 
combined total 634 million cubic feet annually, nearly 
double the loss rate in 1976. 
The recent drop in net annual growth of hardwood growing 
stock in the South Central region is projected to continue 
with a decline of 25 percent by 2010, when the net annual 
growth of hardwood is 1.5 billion cubic feet. A modest 
upturn is then projected back to 1.7 billion cubic feet by 
2030. Declines are projected in every ownership class 
except corporate. A small decrease, from 47 to 42 percent, 
is projected in the proportion of hardwood growth in the 
upland hardwood type. 
Trends by State 
Between 1952 and 1976, the general increase in net annual 
growth of hardwood was evident in every State except 
Arkansas, where the trend has been relatively flat (figs. 
3.40 and 3.41, app. tables 3.51—3.62 and 3.65-3.76). In 
terms of volume, the largest increases in hardwood growth 
occurred in Virginia and North Carolina. Since 1976, there 
have been measured declines in hardwood growth in most 
States. 
The projected decrease in net annual growth of hardwoods 
between 1984 and 2010 occurs in each of the 12 States. 
In terms of volume, the largest decreases are projected in 
North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, 
and Arkansas—all important hardwood States. 
Between 2010 and 2030, net annual growth of hardwood is 
projected to increase again in each of the 12 States. In 
terms of volume, the largest increases are projected in North 
Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and South Carolina. 
183 
