The inventory of hardwood timber increased 
by more than 50 percent between 1952 and 
1985. However, a decline is in the offing. 
The outlook for hardwood timber in the 
South is much the same as that for 
softwoods—intensifying competition for 
timber and rising stumpage prices. 
tories increase throughout the projection years. Most of the 
further increase in hardwood inventory will be in the up- 
land hardwood type. Between 2000 and 2030, overall 
hardwood inventories in the Southeast are projected to 
decline about 8 percent. 
Trends in the South Central Region 
Hardwood growing stock inventories rose from 40.6 billion 
to 56.0 billion cubic feet between 1952 and 1985, a 38- 
percent increase (app. tables 3.50 and 3.64). The rate of 
increase has been fairly constant. Compared with soft- 
woods, which increased more than 100 percent during this 
32-year period, the hardwoods’ rate of increase has been 
slow. 
Increasing inventories result from excess growth over 
removals. The growth/removals ratio for hardwood was 1.17 
in 1952, increased to 1.28 in 1962, 1.57 in 1970, and 1.78 
in 1976, and then dropped back to 1.37 in 1984. 
Trends in hardwood inventories have differed for different 
owner groups. The forest industry hardwood inventory 
showed large increases between 1952 and 1962 and between 
1970 and 1976. Other private hardwood inventories were 
relatively flat between 1952 and 1970, then began increasing 
more rapidly. These trends are strongly correlated with 
hardwood type acreage trends and, to a lesser extent, the 
aging process of hardwood stands. 
Hardwood growing stock in the upland type has increased 
steadily, with the biggest increase occurring in the last 8 
years. This primarily reflects increased stocking and the 
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