Management options were also developed for each un- 
treated stand condition to reflect opportunity costs. Mini- 
mal custodial management was assumed to continue for 
these cases indefinitely. In most cases, rotation ages were 
longer, yields and stocking levels were lower, expected reve- 
nues were lower, and costs were minimal or zero. These un- 
treated stands were carried for two to four rotations, also 
a minimum of 150 years for comparability. For all forest 
management types except upland and bottomland 
hardwoods, forest succession was assumed to occur follow- 
ing harvest. Natural pine stands were assumed to revert 
eventually to upland hardwoods after 100 to 150 years if 
not treated following harvest. The financial consequences of 
these conditions were factored into the financial analyses. 
Many specific assumptions on current stand ages, stock- 
ing levels and volumes, rotation ages, regeneration 
survival, thinning ages, and responses to treatments were 
required in order to construct each management option. Al- 
though all assumptions are not detailed here, the stand condi- 
tions and management options commonly associated with 
each treatment are briefly described next. 
Regenerate With Site Preparation—These acres lack a 
manageable timber stand because of inadequate growing 
stock. Growth will be considerably below potential for the 
site if the area is left alone. This treatment category con- 
The largest opportunity to increase net 
annual timber growth in the South is through 
site preparation and regeneration. Four 
kinds of properties can benefit from this 
treatment: nonstocked timberlands with 
competing vegetation, cutover lands with 
residual trees, poorly stocked lands severely 
overcut or high-graded in the past, and 
stands with few trees to be cleared before 
reforestation. 
tains the greatest number of acres. Examples of these 
stands are nonstocked lands with competing vegetation re- 
quiring site preparation, cutover sites with residual stems, 
poorly stocked stands severely overcut or high-graded in the 
past, and stands with low stocking requiring clearing be- 
fore reforestation. The recommended treatment is to prepare 
the site and regenerate by natural or artificial methods. Al- 
though natural regeneration is a viable option for some sites, 
the establishment of pine plantations on most sites was 
evaluated. This treatment represented a conversion to planted 
pine for most forest management types. Natural regenera- 
tion was evaluated for bottomland hardwoods on high sites. 
Regenerate Without Site Preparation—These acres lack 
a manageable timber stand because of inadequate growing 
stock. Although these stands will eventually regenerate nat- 
urally without treatment, growth will be considerably below 
potential if they are left alone. Prospects are not good for 
adequate natural regeneration on most sites. Examples of 
these sites include nonstocked land with little vegetation, 
recently harvested stands with few residuals, failed new 
plantations, and similar stands. The recommended treat- 
ment is to plant with little or no site preparation. The man- 
agement option evaluated on most sites was to plant pine. 
Natural regeneration was evaluated for all bottomland hard- 
wood sites and upland hardwood or mixed pine—hardwood 
stands on low sites. 
Convert Stands of Undesirable Trees to Preferred 
Species—These are stands of undesirable, chronically 
diseased, or offsite species. Growth and quality will be 
considerably below potential if these stands are left alone. 
Examples of these stands include slash pine in areas subject 
to severe ice storms, pines heavily infested with fusiform 
or other diseases, some hardwood stands on pine sites, and 
stands with less preferred species distributions. No informa- 
tion was available from survey data to indicate specific 
limitations on these acres. The recommended treatment is 
to convert stands to a different forest management type or 
species. Establishment of pine plantations was evaluated for 
all sites. 
Precommercial Thin Overstocked Seedling and Sapling 
Stands—These stands are densely stocked and likely to stae- 
nate if not treated. Examples of these sites include pine 
plantations with many volunteer stems, doghair natural pine 
stands, hardwood thickets, and similar young, unmerchant- 
able stands with too many trees per acre. The recommended 
treatment is to reduce stocking by precommercial thinning 
to help crop trees attain dominance. 
