aging of many stands (total upland hardwood acreage having 
been quite stable at roughly 34 million acres). The bottom- 
land hardwood inventory has, over the long term, increased 
despite a loss of 20 percent of the acreage present in 1952. 
Average volume and tree diameters have both increased 
during this period. 
The hardwood situation is actually much more complex 
than indicated by these summary statistics. Upland hard- 
woods in the interior regions of Tennessee and Arkansas 
have developed differently from upland hardwoods in the 
Coastal Plain States (fig 3.48, app. tables 3.51—3.62 and 
3.65-3.76). Coastal Plain upland hardwoods tend to occupy 
cutover pine sites and are in poorer condition than hard- 
woods in the interior, which have been periodically high- 
graded but remain less disturbed overall. A recent survey 
in Louisiana showed that the average hardwood basal area 
of upland hardwood types declined from 62.6 square feet 
per acre in 1974 to 56.8 square feet per acre in 1984. In 
contrast, the data from Tennessee surveys in 1970 and 
1980 show the average hardwood basal area of upland 
hardwood types increasing, from 77.4 to 84.0 square feet 
per acre. During the same periods, stocking of rough and 
rotten upland hardwoods in Louisiana increased from 37 
percent to 40 percent of all live-tree basal area, and in 
Tennessee, the same component increased from 26 to 28 
percent. 
Bottomland hardwoods in Louisiana are much better 
stocked than upland hardwoods. Average stocking of hard- 
wood growing stock trees is 89.2 square feet per acre. The 
difference between bottomland and upland hardwood 
stocking is less pronounced if softwood stocking is included 
with the upland hardwood basal-area averages. Softwood 
stocking on upland hardwood types in Louisiana was about 
10 square feet per acre in 1974 and 8 square feet per acre 
in 1984. Rough and rotten cull stocking on bottomland types 
in Louisiana has increased in a comparable way to increases 
on upland hardwood types, from 34 percent to 38 percent 
of all live-tree basal area. 
In terms of volume, the trend has been toward higher 
growing stock volume, especially among larger diameter 
classes. The most recent survey in Louisiana showed 
declines in hardwood volumes in the 6-inch and 8-inch 
classes. Declining ingrowth coupled with increasing cull 
volumes foretell future volume declines as removals begin 
to exceed growth. 
In addition to differences by type and region, hardwoods 
are much more variable in quality than softwoods for dif- 
ferent species and in different localities. Hardwood producers 
In general, the upland hardwood stands in 
Tennessee and Arkansas are in better 
condition than those in the Coastal Plain 
States in the South Central region. This 
situation reflects past cutting practices: 
stands in the upland States have been less 
disturbed. 
are subject to local resource variations. Their concerns 
involve not only quality and location but availability as well. 
Hardwood availability is limited by a number of factors, 
including accessibility, ownership, location, site, and a 
tendency for desired species to be scattered among stands 
dominated by other species. This results in a situation in 
which statistics show more volume in the forest than may 
actually be available for harvest. Thus the hardwood supply 
situation becomes critical well before growth and removals 
come into balance. 
A further increase of 10 percent in the inventory of hard- 
wood growing stock is projected for the South Central region 
between 1985 and 1990. During this period, hardwood 
inventories increase in all owner classes, except corporate. 
By management type, the largest increase occurs in the 
bottomland hardwood type, where inventories increase by 28 
percent. Beyond 2000, hardwood inventories in the South 
Central region turn down very sharply, dropping 28 percent 
by 2030. 
Trends by State 
In 1952, the inventory of hardwood growing stock in the 
South exceeded the inventory of softwood in all but three 
States: Florida, Georgia, and Texas (figs. 3.47 and 3.48, 
app. tables 3.51—3.62 and 3.65—3.76). Since 1952, the 
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