ITEM 



constant attrition due to repeated burnings 

 is a prime obstacle to timber cropping as 

 a business. 



The present forests are characterized by 

 second-growth timber, much of which is 

 below the minimum size for most indus- 

 trial uses. These young forests do not 

 have the high quality of the original old- 

 growth stands; but because of the rapid 

 development of the pulp industry and the 

 gradual adjustment of the lumber and 

 other forest industries to smaller timber, 

 second-growth forests are of outstanding 

 significance in the present and future 

 economy of the State. 



Largely as a result of past fires and 

 logging methods, the forests contain too 

 large a proportion of cull trees and trees 

 of species not now in demand. The 

 prompt removal of this material for fuel, 

 chemical wood, and other low-value com- 

 modities for which it is suitable would 

 materially improve the forest condition 

 and the rate of growth ot the remaining 

 trees. 



The forests in all parts of the State are 

 generally understocked. In southwest 

 Louisiana there are nearly a million acres 

 ot nonrestocking lands that formerly bore 

 longleat pine. Seed trees or clumps of 

 advance reproduction are usually present 

 on these lands but so widely scattered 

 as to require many years to bring them 

 back naturally to anything like gooti 

 stocking. If this process is to be hastened, 

 many ot these lands must be planted. 



Another important adverse factor is the 

 relatively high taxes. Forest-land tax 

 delinquency is most common among industrial owners, 

 who according to rough estimates formerly owned nearly 

 two-thirds of the forest land now adjudicated to the State 

 tor nonpayment ot taxes. 



Forest Description 



Ot the productive forest area of 16 million acres, 15.8 

 percent is in the longleat pine type, ,M..^ percent is in 

 the shortleat-loblolly pine and shortleaf-loblolly pine- 

 hardwood types, 5.8 percent is in uplaml hardwoods, and 

 the remaining 47.1 percent is in bottom-land hanlwotnis. 



Only 21 jiercent of the productive forest area supports 

 okl-growth forests, antl heavy cutting has taken place on 



Land area (19351 



Population (1930) 



Forest area 

 Saw-timber volume 



11934.35) 



Hardwood 

 Pine 



Forest increment 



(T937) 



Lumber production 



(1937) 



Hardwood 



Pine 



PulpwOOd cut II937I 



REMAINDER OF LOWER SOUTH 



v///////////^^^^^^ 



'A 



j_ 



a. 



-L. 



-1_ 



-1_ 



-L. 



30 20 



10 10 

 Percent 



20 30 40 50 60 ro 80 90 



•II. I KK J. 



ha 



sic italislii s of Louisiana iti relation to other portions aj the lower South. 



three-fifths ot this portion. Second-growth sawlog-size 

 stands are found on 41 percent of the forest area, and 

 second-growth under-sawlog-size stands on 28 percent. 

 Largely as the result of fire and indiscriminate cutting, 

 approximately 10 percent of the forest area is virtually 

 without forest growth. 



The old-growth forests, mostly bottom-land hardwixxls. 

 are concentrated chiefly in the north delta unit, wherr 

 halt the forest area supports old gruwth, nearly thrrc- 

 fitths ot which has been heavily cut. The smallest pn>- 

 portion of old-growth forest area is that o{ the norxh 

 pine vuiit 13 percent. 0( the clear-cut forest area, 8J 

 percent is in the two south pine units. 



