62 



THE OUTLOOK FOR TIMBER IN THE UNITED STATES 



Table 47. — Net growth of growing stock per acre in the South, by owner class and species group, 1952, 1962, 



and 1970, with projections to 2020 



[Cubic feet] 



Owner class and species group 



1952 



1962 



1970 



Projections 





1980 



1990 



2000 



2020 



National Forests: 



Softwoods 



27. 4 

 11.9 



38.4 

 16.5 



37.0 

 17.6 



40.9 

 18.6 



40.7 

 18.4 



39.8 

 18.0 



39.8 



Hardwoods. . 



18. 







Total . . 



39.3 



54.9 



54.6 



59.5 



59. 1 



57.8 



57. 8 







Other public : 



Softwoods -_ 



19. 2 

 11.5 



20.8 

 14. 1 



27.9 

 17. 6 



31.3 

 19.5 



32.7 

 20. 2 



32.6 

 20. 1 



32. 5 



Hardwoods. . ._ 



20. 2 







Total.. - ----- 



30.7 



34.9 



45.5 



50.8 



52.9 



52.7 



52. 7 







Forest industry: 



Softwoods _ - 



33.5 

 11. 1 



38.9 

 12. 6 



39.8 

 13.3 



42.5 

 14.2 



43. 1 

 14.7 



42.9 

 14.7 



42.9 



Hardwoods 



14. 7 







Total- -. - . . 



44.6 



51.5 



53. 1 



56. 7 



57.8 



57.6 



57.6 







Farm and miscellaneous private: 



Softwoods. _ 



14.7 

 15.2 



17.6 

 15.3 



24.4 



17.4 



26. 3 

 19. 



26.8 

 19.9 



26.6 

 20. 1 



26.6 



Hardwoods 



20. 1 







Total. ... 



29.9 



32.9 



41.8 



45.3 



46. 7 



46.7 



46.7 







All owners: 



Softwoods. 



18.7 

 14.2 



22.4 

 14.9 



28.0 

 16.7 



30.4 

 18. 1 



30.9 

 18.8 



30.8 

 18.9 



30.9 



Hardwoods. _________ 



18.9 







Total ... 



32.9 



37.3 



44. 7 



48.4 



49. 7 



49.7 



49.8 







in the North averaged less than half the annual 

 net growth (table 51 and fig. 30). Moreover, the 

 margin of growth over removals increased during 

 this period as a result of rapid increases in net 

 growth. In 1970, growth of hardwoods was 2.3 



Net growth and removals of growing stock 

 in the North 



2 2 

 O 



x / 



./net growth ./ hardwoods 



removals ' 

 *>^ softwoods 



removals 



1952 1962 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 



Figure 30 



times removals, and growth of softwoods was 2.2 

 times greater than removals. 



Rapid increases in net growth of sawtimber has 

 similarly led to a substantial surplus of growth 

 over removals of larger sizes of timber in recent 

 years. Net growth of softwood sawtimber in 1970 

 was 1.7 times annual removals (table 52 and fig. 

 31). Net growth of hardwood sawtimber was 1.5 

 times more than removals. 



The substantial excess of net growth over 

 removals in recent years represented a recovery of 

 northern timber resources from an extremely low 

 level of productivity, especially in terms of the 

 sizes and quality of timber needed by forest 

 industries. Past logging and repeated fires left 

 vast areas poorly stocked, but with improved fire 

 protection most forest areas are again growing 

 timber. Also, large areas of former agricultural 

 land which reverted to forest after abandonment 

 are now contributing considerable "ingrowth" 

 as trees pass 5.0 inches in diameter. In some areas 

 ingrowth made up at least half of the total net 

 annual growth in 1970. 



On public lands, net growth averaged about 

 four times greater than timber removals in 1970 

 (Append. I, tables 21 and 22). This largely reflects 



