Forest Resources of South

Carolina's National Forests,

2001

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest Service

Southern

Research Station

Resource Bulletin

SRS–98

Sonja N. Oswalt
The Author:

February 2005

Southern Research Station

P.O. Box 2680

Asheville, NC 28802

Sonja N. Oswalt, Forester-Resource Analyst,

USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station,

Knoxville, TN 37919.
i

Foreword

This resource bulletin describes principal findings of the eighth inventory of South Carolina’s national forest resources. Data

on the extent, condition, and classification of forestland and associated timber volumes, growth, removals, and mortality are

described and interpreted. Data on select nontimber forest attributes also are presented and interpreted. Field work for the

eighth inventory began in September 1998 and was completed in March 2002.

The Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest

Service to conduct periodic surveys of America’s forest resources. Such surveys are part of a continuing, nationwide

undertaking by the regional experiment stations of the Agency. Inventories of the 13 Southern States (Alabama, Arkansas,

Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and

Virginia) and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are conducted by the Southern Research Station,

Forest Inventory and Analysis Research Work Unit (FIA) operating from its headquarters in Knoxville, TN; and from offices

in Asheville, NC, and Starkville, MS. The primary objective of appraisals in this bulletin is to develop and maintain resource

information needed to formulate sound forest policies and programs. More information is available in the publication “Forest

Service Resource Inventories: An Overview” (U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service 1992).

Tabular data included in FIA reports are designed to provide an array of forest resource statistics, but additional data are

available to those who require more specialized information. Forest resource data for the Southern States can be accessed

directly via the Internet: http://www.ncrs2.fs.fed.us/4801/FIADB/index.htm.

Additional information concerning any aspect of this survey may be obtained from:

USDA Forest Service

Southern Research Station

Forest Inventory and Analysis

4700 Old Kingston Pike

Knoxville, TN 37919

Telephone: 865–862–2000

William G. Burkman

Program Manager

Acknowledgments

The combined efforts of many people have made this evaluation of South Carolina’s national forests possible. The Southern

Research Station sincerely appreciates the dedication of research work unit and Station personnel who participated in field

and office work for this survey. The Station gratefully acknowledges the cooperation and assistance provided by the South

Carolina Forestry Commission in collecting field data. We also appreciate the cooperation of employees on the Francis

Marion National Forest and the Sumter National Forest, who provided access to sample locations.

Introduction—Scope and Intent ............................................................................................................. 1

National Forests in South Carolina ........................................................................................................ 1

Area of South Carolina's National Forests.............................................................................................. 2

Forest Structure and Stand Density ........................................................................................................ 5

 Number of Live Trees .......................................................................................................................... 5

 Number of Standing Dead Trees ......................................................................................................... 5

Forest Productivity .................................................................................................................................. 7

 Biomass ............................................................................................................................................... 7

 Basal Area and Tree Volume ............................................................................................................... 7

Forest Health ........................................................................................................................................... 8

 Stand Origin ........................................................................................................................................ 8

 Stand Age ............................................................................................................................................ 8

 Understory Composition and Structure .............................................................................................. 8

Timber Resources.................................................................................................................................... 9

 Stand Size ............................................................................................................................................ 9

 Stand Production ................................................................................................................................. 10

 Growth, Removals, and Mortality ....................................................................................................... 11

Inventory Methods .................................................................................................................................. 11

Statistical Reliability .............................................................................................................................. 13

Literature Cited ....................................................................................................................................... 14

Glossary ................................................................................................................................................... 15

Metric Equivalents.................................................................................................................................. 19

Appendix ................................................................................................................................................. 21

 Index of Tables .................................................................................................................................... 23

 Tables A.1–A.22a ................................................................................................................................. 24

a All tables in this report are available in Microsoft® Excel workbook files. Upon request, these files will be

supplied on 31⁄2-inch diskettes.

 The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information and does not imply endorsement

by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service.

 Page

Table of Contents

iii
iv

Figure 1—Forest survey regions in South Carolina.

Saluda Richland

Aiken

Edgefield

McCormick

Allendale

Hampton

Barnwell

Orangeburg

Lexington

Laurens

Anderson

Abbeville

Greenwood

Oconee

Greenville

Pickens

Union

Newberry

Fairfield

Cherokee

Spartanburg

Chester

York

Williamsburg

Dorchester

Beaufort

Jasper

Bamberg

Colleton

Charleston

Berkeley

Georgetown

Lee

Sumter

Calhoun Clarendon

Kershaw

Lancaster

Chesterfield

Florence

Marion

Horry

Darlington

Dillon

Marlboro

Northern

Coastal Plain

Piedmont

Southern

Coastal Plain
1

Forest Resources of South Carolina’s

National Forests, 2001

Sonja N. Oswalt

Abstract

This bulletin describes forest resources of the Francis Marion

and Sumter National Forests in the State of South Carolina. It is

based on sampling from the eighth forest inventory conducted

by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern

Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis Research Work

Unit. Findings suggest that South Carolina’s national forests are

recovering from destruction caused by Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

This bulletin addresses forest area estimates; timber growth,

removals, and mortality; forest health; and trends across 23 years.

Keywords: Annual removals, forestland area, forest productivity,

Francis Marion National Forest, growing-stock volume, net annual

growth, Sumter National Forest.

Introduction—Scope and Intent

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service,

Southern Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis

(FIA) Program collects data annually on the Nation’s

forestland (fig. 1). These data provide insight into the

availability of domestic timber resources, and they help

identify and describe forest health issues, wildlife habitat

availability, and the overall structure and composition of

America’s forests. Data are combined at a statewide level

on a cyclic schedule to produce summary reports regarding

the condition of forest resources.

A variety of laws require the Agency to administer

National Forest System (NFS) lands for multiple uses,

including recreation, range, timber, watershed health, and

wildlife and fisheries (National Forest Management Act

of 1976, Public Law 94–588). Inventory data are used to

guide management decisions, communicate our understanding of the public’s forest resources, and describe the

health of public lands across forested areas, States, and

regions. On the basis of those concepts, we have prepared

this summary of FIA data relating to NFS resources in the

State of South Carolina. Except when presenting area

estimations, we have not shown data for the individual

national forests; tables and figures refer to statewide NFS

data, in order to provide the highest possible level of

statistical reliability. At the end of the bulletin we discuss

data collection and the statistical reliability of our

methods.

National Forests in South Carolina

In 1936, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt designated

two national forests in the State of South Carolina. The

Francis Marion National Forest, near the coast, and the

Sumter National Forest, to the northwest, were named after

heroes of the American Revolution (U.S. Department of

Agriculture Forest Service 2004). The Sumter and Francis

Marion occupy portions of 13 counties and 2 physiographic regions; about 4,900 miles of perennial and

warmwater streams run through them, and they support

220,000 acres of riparian corridor lands and wetlands

(Thomas 2003a, 2003b).

The Francis Marion National Forest lies below South

Carolina’s fall line, in the Coastal Plain physiographic

region. In addition to providing timber products and recreational benefits, it is home to 1 of 15 core populations of

red-cockaded woodpeckers designated by the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest

Service 2000). In 1989 the Francis Marion was significantly

impacted by Hurricane Hugo, a storm that pummeled the

coast of South Carolina with “sustained winds of 135 miles

per hour” (Sheffield and Thompson 1992).

Longleaf pine forests on the Francis Marion National Forest provide

important habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker.
2

The Sumter National Forest, located in the central

Piedmont and Mountain physiographic regions, is composed of three management units: the Andrew Pickens,

Enoree, and Long Cane Ranger Districts (fig. 2). The

Sumter provides recreational opportunities ranging from

bird watching to camping and hiking. The forest also

provides habitat for rare plant and animal species such as

the small-whorled pogonia, smooth coneflower, northern

dusky salamander, and nesting pairs of bald eagle. Management of forestland on both the Francis Marion and the

Sumter National Forests is conducted to increase biodiversity, protect endangered species habitat and water

quality, and provide recreation opportunities (Thomas

2003a, 2003b).

Area of South Carolina’s National Forests

South Carolina’s national forests occupy approximately

608,000 acres of combined timberland and reserved land,

not including streams, lakes, reservoirs, or other water

bodies. This acreage accounts for about 5 percent of the

State’s total forested acreage. Reserved status means that

use of timber resources is prohibited by statute or administrative designation. The remaining 95 percent of NFS

ownership is timberland. Definitions of forestland and

timberland are included in the “Glossary.”

South Carolina’s national forests are home to a variety of wildlife,

including this black bear, spotted on the Sumter National Forest.

Photo courtesy of Bill Lea, USDA Forest Service.

Figure 2—Map of Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests with physiographic regions depicted

(U.S. Geological Survey 2003).

3UMTER.ATIONAL&OREST

,ONG#ANE2ANGER$ISTRICT

&RANCIS-ARION.ATIONAL&OREST

3UMTER.ATIONAL&OREST

%NOREE2ANGER$ISTRICT

3UMTER.ATIONAL&OREST

!NDREW0ICKENS2ANGER$ISTRICT

0IEDMONT

.ORTHERN#OASTAL0LAIN

3OUTHERN#OASTAL0LAIN
3

Natural resource professionals often use the term forest

type to denote a grouping of species present on the

landscape. Forest type is determined primarily by tree

species and their abundance, thus providing managers and

others with an idea of which species most influence the

composition of a particular patch of forestland. Forest-type

designations also are a way of depicting the overall forest

composition in a given region. In addition to providing

important information about timber resources, they provide

other resource managers, e.g. wildlife biologists, the tools

they need to approach management from a landscape

perspective.

Survey crews recorded 75 tree species on South Carolina’s

national forests during the 2001 inventory (not including

unknown species) (table 1). Those species comprise the

following forest-type groups: white-red-jack pine;

longleaf-slash pine; loblolly-shortleaf pine; oak-pine;

oak-hickory; oak-gum-cypress; and elm-ash-cottonwood

(not listed in order of importance). The loblolly-shortleaf

Table 1—Species lista by common and scientific name, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001

Common name Scientific nameb Scientific nameb

Softwoods Hardwoods (continued) 

Eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua

Shortleaf pine Pinus echinata Yellow-poplar Liriodendron tulipifera

Slash pine P. elliottii Cucumbertree Magnolia acuminata

Spruce pine P. glabra Fraser magnolia M. fraseri

Longleaf pine P. palustris Southern magnolia M. grandiflora

Pitch pine P. rigida Sweetbay M. virginiana

Pond pine P. serotina Water tupelo Nyssa aquatica

Eastern white pine P. strobus Blackgum N. sylvatica

Loblolly pine P. taeda Swamp tupelo N. sylvatica var. biflora

Virginia pine P. virginiana Eastern hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana

Baldcypress Taxodium distichum Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum

Pondcypress T. distichum var. nutans Redbay Persea borbonia

Eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis Sycamore Platanus occidentalis

Carolina hemlock T. caroliniana Swamp cottonwood Populus heterophylla

Black cherry Prunus serotina

Hardwoods White oak Quercus alba

Florida maple Acer barbatum Scarlet oak Q. coccinea

Boxelder A. negundo Southern red oak Q. falcata var. falcata

Red maple A. rubrum Cherrybark oak Q. falcata var. pagodifolia

Sweet birch Betula lenta Turkey oak Q. laevis

River birch B. nigra Laurel oak Q. laurifolia

American hornbeam, musclewood Carpinus caroliniana Overcup oak Q. lyrata

Bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis Blackjack oak Q. marilandica

Pignut hickory C. glabra Swamp chestnut oak Q. michauxii

Shagbark hickory C. ovata Water oak Q. nigra

Sand hickory C. pallida Willow oak Q. phellos

Mockernut hickory C. tomentosa Chestnut oak Q. prinus

Sugarberry Celtis laevigata Northern red oak Q. rubra

Hackberry C. occidentalis Post oak Q. stellata

Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis Dwarf post oak Q. stellata var. margaretta

Flowering dogwood Cornus florida Black oak Q. velutina

Hawthorn Crataegus spp. Live oak Q. virginiana

Common persimmon Diospyros virginiana Willow Salix spp.

American beech Fagus grandifolia Sassafras Sassafras albidum

White ash Fraxinus americana White basswood Tilia heterophylla

Green ash F. pennsylvanica Winged elm Ulmus alata

Honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos American elm U. americana

American holly Ilex opaca Slippery elm U. rubra

Black walnut Juglans nigra Other, unknown Unknown

a

 Common and scientific names of tree species ≥1.0 inch in d.b.h. occurring in the FIA sample, Francis Marion and Sumter National 

 Forests, 2001.

b Nomenclature (Little 1979). 

Common name
4

pine forest type occupies the greatest land area in the

national forests of South Carolina, covering approximately

324,000 acres (over 50 percent) of the total forested land

base in that jurisdiction (fig. 3).

Loblolly and shortleaf pine are well adapted to the warm

climate and soils of the southern Piedmont and Atlantic

Coastal Plain; whereas shortleaf pine tends to dominate

forest types on drier sites at higher elevations, and loblolly

pine tends to dominate lower elevation, humid sites

(Burns and Honkala 1990). Forest-type acreage differs by

physiographic region because of differences in climate,

topography, geologic processes, land use, and forest

management practices that have contributed to the soil

composition of each unique area. Accordingly, the Francis

Marion and the Sumter National Forests differ in overall

species composition.

The three ranger districts of the Sumter National Forest

constitute 57 percent of the total national forest acreage in

South Carolina. Approximately 329,000 acres are timberland and 16,000 acres are reserved land. The three are

noncontiguous patches of forest managed as the Andrew

Pickens (northwest of Greenville), Enoree (northwest of

Columbia), and Long Cane (on the western State line)

Ranger Districts. The primary forest type on the Sumter is

loblolly-shortleaf pine.

By comparison, the Francis Marion National Forest comprises approximately 247,000 acres of timberland and

16,000 acres of reserved land. Although the primary forest

type there also is loblolly-shortleaf pine, its proximity to

the coast and low-lying topography foster a preponderance

of the oak-gum-cypress and longleaf pine forest types.

Because the Francis Marion is a coastal forest, it also is

susceptible to hurricane-related damage, as evidenced by

the 1989 Hurricane Hugo event. The Francis Marion was

directly in the path of that category 4 storm (Conner 1996),

sustaining severe damage to both upland and lowland

forests (Gartner and others 1996, Nix and others 1996).

Nearly 60 percent of the national forest’s pine sawtimber

was lost (Hooper and others 1990). Additional losses

occurred during the year following Hurricane Hugo as

damaged forests succumbed to outbreaks of southern pine

beetle and engraver beetles (Watson and others 1996).

Campers take advantage of the shade at Lick Fork Recreation Area,

Long Cane Ranger District, the Sumter National Forest, 2002. Photo

courtesy of Philip Jordan, USDA Forest Service.

Figure 3—Percent of forestland by forest-type group, Francis Marion and Sumter National

Forests, 2001.
5

Forest Structure and Stand Density

Number of Live Trees

National forest managers and others sometimes describe

forests by the number and species of trees present within a

designated boundary. By identifying the diversity, size

classes, and proportions of species present in a forest they

can project future forest composition by identifying which

species are and are not regenerating. They also can identify

resources available for wildlife habitat, recreation activities, and timber harvest. Information about forest structure

and stand diversity, when combined with data about tree

age, crown health, and damaged or dead wood, helps

managers better describe and understand site productivity,

forest health, and the status of wildlife resources.

On the Francis Marion and the Sumter National Forests, the

largest number of live trees (just under 300 million) is in

the smallest diameter class (< 3 inches d.b.h.). Abundance

dramatically decreases with increasing size class. For

example, in the next largest size class (3 to 5 inches) there

are only about 80 million trees. This difference in abundance is expected and common in most forests, because

competition for light, nutrients, and other resources results

in high levels of mortality for seedlings and saplings. Large

numbers of small-diameter trees suggest the successful regeneration of one or more species. As trees grow and forest

stands thin, competition slows—as does the rapid decline

in numbers of trees. Resource managers often refer to this

phenomenon as an “inverse J” curve.

When combined with species-level data, inverse J curves

can help determine which species are regenerating successfully and which species may be experiencing a decline. In

South Carolina’s national forests yellow pines, particularly

loblolly and shortleaf, represent the greatest number of live

trees in all size classes, followed by sweetgum-tupeloblackgum, white oak-red oak-hickory, and maple (fig. 4).

Most tree species present on South Carolina’s national

forests appear to follow the expected pattern of regeneration

and decline from the smallest to the largest size classes.

Number of Standing Dead Trees

Standing dead trees (snags) are an important component of

forest health and structure in a number of ways. Snags are

utilized by a variety of wildlife as nesting habitat, and by

a variety of fungi, vines, and other plants as a substrate

for growth. Raphael and White (1984) estimate that 30 to

45 percent of birds found in forest ecosystems are cavity

nesters. In addition, foraging woodpeckers rely on snags

for the arthropods on which they feed (Mannan and others

1996). South Carolina is home to numerous avian species

that rely on snags for some of their life history needs,

including woodpeckers, titmice, chickadees, flycatchers,

wrens, and bluebirds (Mannan and others 1996). Therefore,

if wildlife habitat diversity is a management goal, maintaining a variety of snags in various size classes and stages

of decay is an important strategy.

National forests in South Carolina contained over 4 million

standing dead trees for the 2001 survey period, or nearly 7

snags per acre of forestland. Most were yellow pine snags

in the smaller diameter classes (fig. 5). Regardless of major

species group, 64 percent of all standing dead trees were in

a diameter class smaller than 11 inches.

Aftermath of Hurricane Hugo at sunset on the Francis Marion

National Forest, 1989.
6

Figure 5—Number of standing dead trees by species group and diameter class, Francis

Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001.

Figure 4—Number of live trees by forest-type group and diameter class, Francis Marion and Sumter National

Forests, 2001. The species, black walnut and basswood, are present on the forest but in negligible amounts

compared to the other species.
7

Forest Productivity

Biomass

Forest biomass is the living material present in a forest

system, and is also a useful measure of tree and forest

productivity. The importance of measuring biomass has

increased with rising global atmospheric carbon levels, and

as the public has become increasingly concerned with air

quality. Carbon sequestration, the ability of living material

to capture carbon from the atmosphere, thereby offsetting

carbon produced by emissions from combustibles, is now

receiving much attention in the scientific community

(Johnsen and others 2001). Biomass estimates also provide

information about a species’ ability to collect nutrients and

other resources, offering managers another measure of a

species’ influence within a particular forest community

(Spetich and Parker 1998).

Aboveground biomass (dry weight) for South Carolina’s

national forests was estimated at 92 tons per acre. Largediameter softwoods (>9 inches d.b.h.) contribute the largest

amount of aboveground biomass, followed by largediameter hardwoods (>11 inches d.b.h.) and mediumdiameter hardwoods (5 to 10.9 inches d.b.h.) (fig. 6). The

Sumter National Forest contributes 70 percent of the total

aboveground biomass available in South Carolina’s

national forests.

Basal Area and Tree Volume

In addition to biomass, basal area and tree volume measurements can be used to understand forest composition and

productivity. Basal area is the area of the cross section of a

tree at 4.5 feet above the ground and expressed as a total in

square feet per acre. When measured across a forest stand,

basal area can be used to gauge density per unit area

(Barnes and others 1998). In practical application, silviculturists use basal area and site quality to determine the

appropriate stocking density of forest stands to produce a

desired outcome.

Tree volume, like basal area and biomass, gauges tree or

stand productivity. However, volume estimates typically

quantify potential wood products. Volume is negatively

related to the number of stems present in a stand. Typically,

dense stands are composed of large numbers of small stems.

As trees grow, competition for light, moisture, and nutrients

results in the mortality of many seedlings and saplings.

The surviving trees gain volume through growth (Barnes

and others 1998).

Basal area on South Carolina’s national forests averaged

about 98 square feet per acre of forestland (fig. 7). This

relatively low average probably is due to the impacts of

Hurricane Hugo on the Francis Marion National Forest.

Yellow pine occupied the most forest area in South

Carolina’s national forests, averaging 45 square feet per

Figure 6—Aboveground biomass estimates by species group and stand-size class,

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001.
8

acre (fig. 7). Overall, however, total softwood and

hardwood basal areas were similar.

The total volume of all (commercial and noncommercial)

live trees on the South Carolina’s national forests was

approximately 1.2 billion cubic feet, or 1,918 cubic feet

per acre. Again, yellow pine comprised most of the total

volume (fig. 8). South Carolina’s national forests

contributed 6 percent of the State’s total commercial

and noncommercial live tree volume.

Forest Health

Stand Origin

Planted forest stands differ from so-called natural stands—

those regenerated from local seed without human intervention—in structure, diversity, and the kinds of management

commonly applied. A stand is considered natural if the

planted component constitutes < 10 percent of the total

stocking. By comparison, in planted stands, that component is 10 percent or more of the total stocking. About 86

percent of forestland in South Carolina’s national forests

developed through natural reproduction. Artificial regeneration was clearly evident on only 14 percent of the total

acreage.

Stand Age

Information about a stand’s age, when combined with

data on structure, density, and health, helps managers

understand a forest’s stage of development. Overall, 26

percent of forestland on South Carolina’s national forests

fell within the 1- to 20-year age class—slightly less than the

overall State average as reported by Conner (1998). Trees

appeared to be fairly evenly distributed among 20-year age

classes, although slightly more trees were in the smaller age

classes.

Understory Composition and Structure

Another measure of forest health that contributes to our

understanding of productivity—spread of nonnative

invasive species, habitat structure, and interspecific

competition—is understory composition and the structure

of forestland. Understory refers to seedlings, shrubs, forbs,

ferns, vines, and grasses that occur beneath the forest

canopy. Recently, nonnative invasive species have become

a source of great concern for forest managers across the

country, but particularly in the Southern States, where long

growing seasons promote their rapid growth and spread.

Nonnative invasive species such as privet and kudzu

threaten forest resources by reducing diversity, providing

few benefits to wildlife, and often outcompeting or overwhelming tree growth and regeneration. Economically,

attempts to control nonnative species cost the United States

more than $1 billion each year (Stein and others 1996).

The FIA Program is developing new monitoring methods to

help managers identify “hot spots” of invasive species. In

addition, many national forests are conducting intensive

Figure 7—Basal area of live trees by species group, Francis Marion and Sumter National

Forests, 2001.
9

monitoring to detect these threats to forest health. During

the 2001 South Carolina inventory, understory vegetation

data were collected on only a subset of plot locations on

NFS lands, and those data provided only enough information to broadly describe stand composition and structure.

Although the issue of nonnative invasive species is not

addressed here, future reports will attempt to do so.

Most of the horizontal area within the Francis Marion and

Sumter National Forests was occupied by trees. In the

Francis Marion, shrub and fern species occupied nearly as

much horizontal area as trees. Forbs and other herbaceous

species occupied the smallest horizontal area.

By contrast, in the Sumter National Forest woody vines and

epiphytes occupied more horizontal area than any vegetation other than trees. Shrub and grass species followed

closely behind. Ferns occupied the smallest horizontal area.

Timber Resources

Stand Size

Ninety-five percent of the land base in South Carolina’s

national forests is classified as timberland—a total of

approximately 576,000 acres. Figure 9 shows the stand-size

distribution of that timberland. About 50 percent of timberland trees were in the sawtimber stand-size class. Saplingsseedlings occupied the smallest amount of timberland area

at 23 percent. Saplings and seedlings occupied a larger area

in the Francis Marion than in the Sumter, probably due to

the damaging effects of Hurricane Hugo on trees in the

larger diameter classes.

Overall, the number of live trees on national forest timberland in South Carolina has remained steady, with large

numbers of smaller diameter trees suggesting successful

regeneration across years (fig. 10). The total number of live

Figure 8—Volume of all live trees by species group, Francis Marion and Sumter National

Forests, 2001.

Figure 9—Stand-size distribution on timberland, Francis Marion

and Sumter National Forests, 2001.
10

trees on South Carolina’s national forests appears to have

increased slightly over the last 23 years, with the largest

increases occurring in the smallest diameter classes (fig.

10). However, the values from year to year differ so slightly

that it is hard to tell if the increases are due to true changes

in tree populations or to changes in measurement methodology. Despite the damage wrought by Hurricane Hugo, the

Francis Marion National Forest appears to be successfully

recovering.

Stand Production

In addition to considering the numbers of trees available

for use on the national forests, managers can look at

volume, basal area, and the biomass of growing stock to

estimate stand productivity at a given time. For survey

year 2001, we presented data on the volume, basal area,

and biomass of growing-stock softwoods and hardwoods

(table 2). Growing-stock volume on the national forests

has increased approximately 31 percent since 1978. Overall increases in growing-stock volumes were larger on the

Sumter than on the Francis Marion, primarily because a

precipitous decline in growing-stock volume occurred

on the Francis Marion between 1986 and 1993 following

Hurricane Hugo. The declines observed there are consistent

with declines observed in the 1998 South Carolina State

resource report (Conner 1998), although growing-stock

volume appears to be increasing now.

Table 2—Area of timberland by species group, volume, basal area, and 

biomass, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001 

Species group

Yellow pine 130.8 477.2 8.0 18.9 3.2 10.7

Other softwoods 34.1 9.9 1.3 0.7 0.8 0.3

Soft hardwood 101.8 129.8 6.8 5.9 2.8 3.3

Hard hardwood 27.1 148.7 2.1 6.9 0.9 4.4

 Total 293.7 765.6 18.3 32.4 7.8 18.7

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding. 

Marion Sumter

million cubic feet million square feet million tons

Marion Sumter Marion Sumter

Volume Basal area Biomass 

Francis Francis Francis

Figure 10—Number of live trees on timberland by diameter class and survey year,

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001.

±±±DQGODUJHU
11

The overall sawtimber volume on South Carolina’s national

forests has decreased by about 10 percent since 1978 (fig.

11). Approximately 65 percent of the current merchantable

sawtimber volume there was found in trees 15 inches d.b.h.

or greater. Sawtimber volume declines mainly resulted from

the effects of Hurricane Hugo. Since the storm, however,

overall sawtimber volumes have increased nearly 11

percent, indicating recovery to near pre-Hugo levels (fig.

11).

Growth, Removals, and Mortality

Growth, removals, and mortality estimates help managers

and interested parties better understand forest resources and

the changes that occur during any given year. The FIA

Program makes those estimates on the national forests using

a relatively small number of sample plots. It is likely,

therefore, that estimates of removals generated using FIA

data will differ from harvest volumes listed in individual

national forest cut and sold reports. In addition, growth,

removals, and mortality estimates are annual averages for

the period since the previous inventory. So, the values we

report are an average for years 1993 through 1999. The

following data present broad estimates only; those who are

looking for more accurate assessments of timber utilization

should refer to the cut and sold reports.

Overall softwood and hardwood growing stock net growth

on South Carolina’s national forests has declined by 44

percent since the 1978 survey. However, although growth

declines resulting from Hurricane Hugo were noted in the

1993 survey, data from the 2001 survey show an apparent

recovery (fig. 12). More noticeable is the precipitous

decline in annual growing-stock removals in the past 23

years. Softwood growing-stock removals have dropped by

about 76 percent, while hardwood growing-stock removals

have declined by 96 percent. Similarly, both softwood and

hardwood sawtimber growth have declined since the 1978

survey. Annual sawtimber removals on the national forests

have declined by about 72 percent for softwoods and a little

over 88 percent for hardwoods, following an increase in

hardwood removals between the 1986 and 1993 surveys.

One reason for the decline in removals is a shift in management objectives from harvesting live timber to salvage and

control efforts related to the southern pine beetle (Thomas

2003b).

Annual net growth of all live, growing stock, and sawtimber

trees in survey year 2001 was more than double the annual

removals, with yellow pine constituting 91 percent of

growing-stock removals and 97 percent of all sawtimber

removals. Mortality rates were slightly lower than gross

growth rates for all species groups, and were higher for

yellow pines than for other broad species groups—probably

due to effects of the southern pine beetle.

Inventory Methods

Data collected for the 2001 inventory were based on a

statistically valid mapped plot design begun in 1995 under

the Forest Service manual version 3, April 1998 (“green”

manual). Methods for the 2001 inventory consisted of

Figure 11—Volume of sawtimber on timberland by survey year, Francis Marion

and Sumter National Forests, 2001.
12

multiple parts or “phases.” Phase 1 sampling utilized aerial

photographs and geographic information systems to generate initial estimates of forest and nonforest areas. For

national forests, initial area estimates were enumerated

based on national forest records to ensure maximum accuracy. Global positioning system devices were then used to

locate and record the center of each ground sample plot.

The mapped plot design consisted of a cluster of four

24.0-foot radius subplots spaced and arranged to form an

equilateral triangle, with subplot 1 falling in the center.

Subplots were spaced 120 feet from the center of subplot 1.

Each subplot was mapped for forest conditions, including

land use, forest type, stand-size class, stand origin, stand

density, and broad ownership categories. All trees 5.0

inches d.b.h. and larger were measured within each subplot.

Plots and subplot locations were fixed, and plots were not

rotated or moved for any reason. Plots straddling forest and

nonforest conditions were mapped, and trees in the forested

condition were measured. Each plot contained four microplots, located at subplot centers. Microplots were used to

measure all live trees 1.0 inches in diameter through 4.9

inches in diameter.

Seedlings, shrubs, vines, grasses, forbs, and other vegetation were measured at subplot 1 on plots collected through

early spring 2001. The number and height of vegetative

zones, as well as the four dominant species within each life

form and zone were collected at each understory structure

sampling site. Additional nontimber attributes collected

included land use, terrain, disturbances, damage agents,

and snags.

Growth, removal, and mortality estimates were determined

based on the remeasurement of permanent sample plots

established in the 1993 inventory. These estimates

represent an average annual estimate since the previous

inventory. So the values we report for the latest inventory

are an average yearly mean for 1993 through 1999.

All field data were submitted to the Southern Research

Station in Asheville, NC, for editing, processing, and

storage. Final estimates were based on statistical summaries

of the data and represent only a portion of the data

collected.

Data collected by the FIA Program are made available to

the public via the Internet by accessing the FIA Web site at

http://www.fia.fs.fed.us. Once connected, users may enter

the “Online Databases” section to access data. The data are

stored so that individual users may download portions of

the data to produce their own estimates and summaries.

Additionally, users may access an online table generator to

easily query the data within the Internet forum.

Figure 12—Net growth and removals of growing stock by species group and

survey year, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001.
13

Statistical Reliability

FIA data are collected nationwide to provide reliable

statistics for forest resources at the State and survey unit

levels. Because of small sample sizes on the individual

national forests and within each species group, the statistics presented in this bulletin are intended for estimates

only, and should be viewed with an understanding of the

error involved in the summary calculations.

A measure of reliability of inventory statistics is provided

by sampling errors. These sampling errors mean that the

chances are two out of three that the true population value

is within the limits indicated by a confidence interval.

Sampling errors (in percent) and associated confidence

intervals around the sample estimates for timberland area,

inventory volumes, and components of change are presented in the following tabulation.

Sample estimate

 and Sampling

Item confidence interval error

percent

All live (million cubic feet)

Inventory 1,166.4 ± 93.9 8.05

Net annual growth 22.3 ± 3.5 15.80

Annual removals 7.5 ± 2.9 38.46

Annual mortality 13.5 ± 2.4 17.93

Growing stock (million cubic feet)

Inventory 1,106.1 ± 90.8 8.21

Net annual growth 22.1 ± 3.5 15.72

Annual removals 7.4 ± 2.8 38.33

Annual mortality 12.2 ± 2.4 19.32

Sawtimber (million board feet)

Inventory 4,327.4 ± 477.6 11.04

Net annual growth 89.7 ± 15.4 17.19

Annual removals 31.4 ± 12.7 40.40

Annual mortality 40.3 ± 9.4 23.24

Sampling error increases as the area or volume considered

decreases in magnitude. Sampling errors and associated

confidence intervals are often unacceptably high for small

components of the total resource. Statistical confidence

may be computed for any subdivision of survey unit or

State totals using the following formula. Sampling errors

obtained from this method are only approximations of

reliability because this process assumes constant variance

across all subdivisions of totals.

X

X

SE SE

s

t

t s=

where

SEs = sampling error for subdivision of survey unit or

State total

SEt = sampling error for survey unit or State total

Xs = sum of values for the variable of interest (area or

volume) for subdivision of survey unit or State

Xt = total area or volume for survey unit or State

For example, the estimate of sampling error for softwood

sawtimber growth on South Carolina’s national forest

timberland is computed as:

 = 40.41

16.23

89.7 SEs = 17.19

Thus, the sampling error is 40.41 percent, and the resulting

confidence interval (two times out of three) for softwood

sawtimber growth on South Carolina’s national forest

timberland is 16.23 ± 6.55 million board feet.

Forest area estimates for the Francis Marion and Sumter

National Forests are reported without associated error

values in the bulletin because the values of national forest

area are taken from known NFS land area statistics. The

subdivisions and classifications associated with forest

area (forest type, stand age, etc.) do have some measurement/classification error; however, this error may not be

measured with the above formula.
14

Literature Cited

Barnes, V.B.; Zak, D.R.; Denton, S.R.; Spurr, S.H. 1998. Forest

ecology. 4th ed. New York: John Wiley. 774 p.

Burns, R.M.; Honkala, B.H., tech. coords. 1990. Silvics of North

America. Agric. Handb. 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department

of Agriculture. 877 p. Vol. 2.

Conner, R.C. 1998. South Carolina’s forests, 1993. Resour. Bull.

SRS–25. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest

Service, Southern Research Station. 78 p.

Conner, W.H. 1996. Impacts of hurricanes on forests of the Atlantic

and gulf coasts. In: Haymond, Jacqueline L.; Harms, William R.,

eds. Hurricane Hugo: South Carolina forest land research and

management related to the storm. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS–5.

Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service,

Southern Research Station: 6–12.

Gartner, D.L.; Hook, D.D.; Buford, M.A. 1996. Hurricane damage

to the canopy species of a 24-year-old seed tree regeneration

experiment in a non-alluvial swamp. In: Haymond, Jacqueline L.;

Harms, William R., eds. Hurricane Hugo: South Carolina forest

land research and management related to the storm. Gen. Tech.

Rep. SRS–5. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 101–105.

Hooper, R.G.; Watson, J.C.; Escano, R.E.F. 1990. Hurricane Hugo’s

initial effects on red-cockaded woodpeckers in the Francis

Marion National Forest. North American Wildlife and Natural

Resource Conference. 55: 220–224.

Johnsen, K.H.; Wear, D.; Oren, R. [and others]. 2001. Meeting

global policy commitments: carbon sequestration and southern

pine forests. Journal of Forestry. April: 14–21.

Little, E.L. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and

naturalized). Agric. Handb. 541. Washington, DC: U.S.

Department of Agriculture. 375 p.

Mannan, R.W.; Conner, R.N.; Marcot, B.; Peek, J.M. 1996.

Managing forestlands for wildlife. In: Bookhout, T.A., ed.

Research and management techniques for wildlife and habitat.

Bethesda, MD: The Wildlife Society: 689–721.

Nix, L.E.; Hook, D.D.; Williams, J.G.; Blaricom, D.V. 1996.

Assessment of hurricane damage to the Santee Experimental

Forest and the Francis Marion National Forest with a geographic

information system. In: Haymond, Jacqueline L.; Harms, William

R., eds. Hurricane Hugo: South Carolina forest land research and

management related to the storm. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS–5.

Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service,

Southern Research Station: 44–51.

Raphael, M.G.; White, M. 1984. Use of snags by cavity-nesting

birds in the Sierra Nevada. Wildl. Monogr. 86. Washington, DC:

The Wildlife Society. 66 p.

Sheffield, R.M.; Thompson, M.T. 1992. Hurricane Hugo: effects on

South Carolina’s forest resource. Res. Pap. SE–284. Asheville,

NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southeastern

Forest Experiment Station. 51 p.

Spetich, M.A.; Parker, G.R. 1998. Distribution of biomass in an

Indiana old-growth forest from 1926–1992. American Midland

Naturalist. 139: 90–107.

Stein, B.A.; Flack, S.R.; Benton, N.B. [and others]. 1996. America’s

least wanted: alien species invasions of U.S. ecosystems.

Arlington, VA: The Nature Conservancy. 36 p.

Thomas, J. 2003a. The Francis Marion National Forest fiscal year

2002 annual monitoring and evaluation report. U.S. Department

of Agriculture Forest Service. 35 p. www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/

publications/FM2002.pdf. [Date accessed: February 1, 2004].

Thomas, J. 2003b. The Sumter National Forest fiscal year 2002

annual monitoring and evaluation report. U.S. Department of

Agriculture Forest Service. 35 p. www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/

publications/The Sumter02.pdf. [Date accessed: February 1,

2004].

U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 1992. Forest Service

resource inventories: an overview. Washington, DC. 39 p.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 2000. The Francis

Marion and the Sumter National Forests: management indicator

species population and habitat trends. Atlanta: U.S. Department

of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Region. 137 p.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 2004. The Francis

Marion and the Sumter National Forests: a tale of two forests.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/forest/aboutus/history.html. [Date

accessed: May 1].

U.S. Geological Survey. 2003. Federal lands and Indian Reservations of the United States. Reston, VA. http://nationalatlas.gov/

atlasftp.html. [Date accessed: November 5, 2004].

Watson, J.C.; Hooper, R.G.; Carlson, D.L. [and others]. 1996.

Restoration of the red-cockaded woodpecker population on

the Francis Marion National Forest: three years post Hugo. In:

Haymond, Jacqueline L.; Harms, William R., eds. Hurricane

Hugo: South Carolina forest land research and management

related to the storm. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS–5. Asheville, NC:

U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern

Research Station: 405–416.
15

Glossary

Afforestation. Area of land previously classified as nonforest that is converted to forest by planting trees or by

natural reversion to forest.

Average annual mortality. Average annual volume of

trees 5.0 inches d.b.h. and larger that died from natural

causes during the intersurvey period.

Average annual removals. Average annual volume of

trees 5.0 inches d.b.h. and larger removed from the inventory by harvesting, cultural operations (such as timberstand improvement), land clearing, or changes in land

use during the intersurvey period.

Average net annual growth. Average annual net change in

volume of trees 5.0 inches d.b.h. and larger in the absence

of cutting (gross growth minus mortality) during the

intersurvey period.

Basal area. The area in square feet of the cross section at

breast height of a single tree or of all the trees in a stand,

usually expressed in square feet per acre.

Biomass. The aboveground fresh weight of solid wood

and bark in live trees 1.0 inch d.b.h. and larger from the

ground to the tip of the tree. All foliage is excluded. The

weight of wood and bark in lateral limbs, secondary limbs,

and twigs under 0.5 inch in diameter at the point of occurrence on sapling-size trees is included but is excluded on

poletimber and sawtimber-size trees.

Bole. That portion of a tree between a 1-foot stump and a

4-inch top d.o.b. in trees 5.0 inches d.b.h. and larger.

Census water. Streams, sloughs, estuaries, canals, and

other moving bodies of water 200 feet wide and greater,

and lakes, reservoirs, ponds, and other permanent bodies

of water 4.5 acres in area and greater.

Commercial species. Tree species currently or potentially

suitable for industrial wood products.

D.b.h. Tree diameter in inches (outside bark) at breast

height (4.5 feet aboveground).

Diameter class. A classification of trees based on tree

d.b.h. Two-inch diameter classes are commonly used by

Forest Inventory and Analysis, with the even inch as the

approximate midpoint for a class. For example, the 6-inch

class includes trees 5.0 through 6.9 inches d.b.h.

D.o.b. (diameter outside bark). Stem diameter including

bark.

Forestland. Land at least 10 percent stocked by forest trees

of any size, or formerly having had such tree cover, and not

currently developed for nonforest use. The minimum area

considered for classification is 1 acre. Forested strips must

be at least 120 feet wide.

Forest management type. A classification of timberland

based on forest type and stand origin.

Pine plantation. Stands that (1) have been artificially

regenerated by planting or direct seeding, (2) are

classed as a pine or other softwood forest type, and

(3) have at least 10 percent stocking.

Natural pine. Stands that (1) have not been artificially

regenerated, (2) are classed as a pine or other softwood

forest type, and (3) have at least 10 percent stocking.

Oak-pine. Stands that have at least 10 percent stocking

and classed as a forest type of oak-pine.

Upland hardwood. Stands that have at least 10 percent

stocking and classed as an oak-hickory or maple-beechbirch forest type.

Lowland hardwood. Stands that have at least 10 percent

stocking with a forest type of oak-gum-cypress, elm-ashcottonwood, palm, or other tropical.

Nonstocked stands. Stands < 10 percent stocked with

live trees.

Forest type. A classification of forestland based on the

species forming a plurality of live-tree stocking. Major

eastern forest-type groups are:

White-red-jack pine. Forests in which eastern white

pine, red pine, or jack pine, singly or in combination,

constitute a plurality of the stocking. (Common

associates include hemlock, birch, and maple.)

Spruce-fir. Forests in which spruce or true firs, singly or

in combination, constitute a plurality of the stocking.

(Common associates include maple, birch, and

hemlock.)
16

Longleaf-slash pine. Forests in which longleaf or slash

pine, singly or in combination, constitute a plurality of

the stocking. (Common associates include oak, hickory,

and gum.)

Loblolly-shortleaf pine. Forests in which loblolly pine,

shortleaf pine, or other southern yellow pines, except

longleaf or slash pine, singly or in combination, constitute a plurality of the stocking. (Common associates

include oak, hickory, and gum.)

Oak-pine. Forests in which hardwoods (usually upland

oaks) constitute a plurality of the stocking but in which

pines account for 25 to 50 percent of the stocking.

(Common associates include gum, hickory, and yellowpoplar.)

Oak-hickory. Forests in which upland oaks or hickory,

singly or in combination, constitute a plurality of the

stocking, except where pines account for 25 to 50 percent, in which case the stand would be classified oakpine. (Common associates include yellow-poplar, elm,

maple, and black walnut.)

Oak-gum-cypress. Bottomland forests in which tupelo,

blackgum, sweetgum, oaks, or southern cypress, singly

or in combination, constitute a plurality of the stocking,

except where pines account for 25 to 50 percent, in

which case the stand would be classified oak-pine.

(Common associates include cottonwood, willow, ash,

elm, hackberry, and maple.)

Elm-ash-cottonwood. Forests in which elm, ash, or

cottonwood, singly or in combination, constitute a

plurality of the stocking. (Common associates include

willow, sycamore, beech, and maple.)

Maple-beech-birch. Forests in which maple, beech, or

yellow birch, singly or in combination, constitute a

plurality of the stocking. (Common associates include

hemlock, elm, basswood, and white pine.)

Nonstocked stands. Stands < 10 percent stocked with

live trees.

Forested tract size. The area of forest within the contiguous tract containing each Forest Inventory and Analysis

sample plot.

Fresh weight. Mass of tree component at time of cutting.

Gross growth. Annual increase in volume of trees 5.0

inches d.b.h. and larger in the absence of cutting and mortality. (Gross growth includes survivor growth, ingrowth,

growth on ingrowth, growth on removals before removal,

and growth on mortality before death.)

Growing-stock trees. Living trees of commercial species

classified as sawtimber, poletimber, saplings, and seedlings.

Trees must contain at least one 12-foot or two 8-foot logs

in the saw-log portion, currently or potentially (if too small

to qualify), to be classed as growing stock. The log(s) must

meet dimension and merchantability standards to qualify.

Trees must also have, currently or potentially, one-third of

the gross board-foot volume in sound wood.

Growing-stock volume. The cubic-foot volume of sound

wood in growing-stock trees at least 5.0 inches d.b.h. from

a 1-foot stump to a minimum 4.0-inch top d.o.b. of the

central stem.

Hardwoods. Dicotyledonous trees, usually broadleaf and

deciduous.

Soft hardwoods. Hardwood species with an average

specific gravity of 0.50 or less; such as gums, yellowpoplar, cottonwoods, red maple, basswoods, and

willows.

Hard hardwoods. Hardwood species with an average

specific gravity > 0.50; such as oaks, hard maples,

hickories, and beech.

Industrial wood. All roundwood products except

fuelwood.

Land area. The area of dry land and land temporarily or

partly covered by water; such as marshes, swamps, river

floodplains (omitting tidal flats below mean high tide),

streams, sloughs, estuaries, canals <200 feet wide, lakes,

reservoirs, and ponds <4.5 acres in area.

Live trees. All living trees. All size classes, all tree classes,

and both commercial and noncommercial species are

included.

Log grade. A classification of logs based on external

characteristics indicating quality or value.

Logging residues. The unused merchantable portion of

growing-stock trees cut or destroyed during logging

operations.
17

Net annual change. Increase or decrease in volume of live

trees at least 5.0 inches d.b.h. Net annual change is equal

to net annual growth minus average annual removals.

Noncommercial species. Tree species of typically small

size, poor form, or inferior quality that normally do not

develop into trees suitable for industrial wood products.

Nonforestland. Land that has never supported forests

and land formerly forested where timber production is

precluded by development for other uses.

Nonstocked stands. Stands <10 percent stocked with live

trees.

Other forestland. Forestland other than timberland and

productive reserved forestland. It includes available and

reserved forestland which is incapable of producing

annually 20 cubic feet per acre of industrial wood under

natural conditions, because of adverse site conditions such

as sterile soils, dry climate, poor drainage, high elevation,

steepness, or rockiness.

Other removals. The growing-stock volume of trees

removed from the inventory by cultural operations such

as timber stand improvement, land clearing, and other

changes in land use, resulting in the removal of the trees

from timberland.

Ownership. The property owned by one ownership unit,

including all parcels of land in the United States.

National forest land. Federal land that has been legally

designated as national forests or purchase units, and

other land under the administration of the Forest

Service, including experimental areas and BankheadJones Title III land.

Forest industry land. Land owned by companies or

individuals operating primary wood-using plants.

Nonindustrial private forestland. Privately owned land

excluding forest industry land.

Corporate. Owned by corporations, including

incorporated farm ownerships.

Individual. All lands owned by individuals,

including farm operators.

Other public. An ownership class that includes all

public lands except national forests.

Miscellaneous Federal land. Federal land other than

national forests.

State, county, and municipal land. Land owned by

States, counties, and local public agencies or municipalities or land leased to these governmental units

for 50 years or more.

Plant residues. Wood material generated in the production

of timber products at primary manufacturing plants.

Coarse residues. Material, such as slabs, edgings, trim,

and veneer cores and ends, suitable for chipping.

Fine residues. Material, such as sawdust, shavings, and

veneer chippings, not suitable for chipping.

Plant byproducts. Residues (coarse or fine) used in the

manufacture of industrial products for consumer use, or

as fuel.

Unused plant residues. Residues (coarse or fine) not

used for any product, including fuel.

Poletimber-size trees. Softwoods 5.0 to 8.9 inches d.b.h.

and hardwoods 5.0 to 10.9 inches d.b.h.

Primary wood-using plants. Industries that convert

roundwood products (saw logs, veneer logs, pulpwood,

etc.) into primary wood products, such as lumber, veneer

or sheathing, wood pulp.

Productive-reserved forestland. Forestland sufficiently

productive to qualify as timberland but withdrawn from

timber utilization through statute or administrative

regulation.

Reforestation. Area of land previously classified as

forest that is regenerated by planting trees or natural

regeneration.

Rotten trees. Live trees of commercial species not containing at least one 12-foot saw log, or two noncontiguous

saw logs, each 8 feet or longer, now or prospectively, primarily because of rot or missing sections, and with less

than one-third of the gross board-foot tree volume in sound

material.
18

Rough trees. Live trees of commercial species not containing at least one 12-foot saw log, or two noncontiguous

saw logs, each 8 feet or longer, now or prospectively,

primarily because of roughness, poor form, splits, and

cracks, and with less than one-third of the gross boardfoot tree volume in sound material; and live trees of

noncommercial species.

Roundwood (roundwood logs). Logs, bolts, or other round

sections cut from trees for industrial or consumer uses.

Roundwood chipped. Any timber cut primarily for pulpwood, delivered to nonpulpmills, chipped, and then sold

to pulpmills as residues, including chipped tops, jump

sections, whole trees, and pulpwood sticks.

Roundwood products. Any primary product such as

lumber, poles, pilings, pulp, or fuelwood, that is produced

from roundwood.

Salvable dead trees. Standing or downed dead trees that

were formerly growing stock and considered merchantable.

Trees must be at least 5.0 inches d.b.h. to qualify.

Saplings. Live trees 1.0 to 5.0 inches d.b.h.

Saw log. A log meeting minimum standards of diameter,

length, and defect, including logs at least 8 feet long,

sound and straight, with a minimum diameter inside bark

for softwoods of 6 inches (8 inches for hardwoods).

Saw-log portion. The part of the bole of sawtimber trees

between a 1-foot stump and the saw-log top.

Saw-log top. The point on the bole of sawtimber trees

above which a conventional saw log cannot be produced.

The minimum saw-log top is 7.0 inches d.o.b. for softwoods

and 9.0 inches d.o.b. for hardwoods.

Sawtimber-size trees. Softwoods 9.0 inches d.b.h. and

larger and hardwoods 11.0 inches d.b.h. and larger.

Sawtimber volume. Growing-stock volume in the saw-log

portion of sawtimber-size trees in board feet (International

1/4-inch rule).

Seedlings. Trees <1.0 inch d.b.h. and >1 foot tall for

hardwoods, > 6 inches tall for softwood, and > 0.5 inch in

diameter at ground level for longleaf pine.

Select red oaks. A group of several red oak species composed of cherrybark, Shumard, and northern red oaks. Other

red oak species are included in the “other red oaks” group.

Select white oaks. A group of several white oak species

composed of white, swamp chestnut, swamp white,

chinkapin, Durand, and bur oaks. Other white oak species

are included in the “other white oaks” group.

Site class. A classification of forestland in terms of potential capacity to grow crops of industrial wood based on

fully stocked natural stands.

Softwoods. Coniferous trees, usually evergreen, having

leaves that are needles or scalelike.

Yellow pines. Loblolly, longleaf, slash, pond, shortleaf,

pitch, Virginia, sand, spruce, and Table Mountain pines.

Other softwoods. Cypress, eastern redcedar, white-cedar,

eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, spruce, and fir.

Stand age. The average age of dominant and codominant

trees in the stand.

Stand origin. A classification of forest stands describing

their means of origin.

Planted. Planted or artificially seeded.

Natural. No evidence of artificial regeneration.

Stand-size class. A classification of forestland based on

the diameter class distribution of live trees in the stand.

Sawtimber stands. Stands at least 10 percent stocked

with live trees, with half or more of total stocking in

sawtimber and poletimber trees, and with sawtimber

stocking at least equal to poletimber stocking.

Poletimber stands. Stands at least 10 percent stocked

with live trees, of which half or more of total stocking

is in poletimber and sawtimber trees, and with

poletimber stocking exceeding that of sawtimber.

Sapling-seedling stands. Stands at least 10 percent

stocked with live trees of which more than half of

total stocking is saplings and seedlings.

Nonstocked stands. Stands < 10 percent stocked with

live trees.
19

Stocking. The degree of occupancy of land by trees,

measured by basal area or the number of trees in a stand

and spacing in the stand, compared with a minimum

standard, depending on tree size, required to fully utilize

the growth potential of the land.

Density of trees and basal area per acre required for full

stocking

D.b.h. Trees per acre Basal area

class for full stocking per acre

Seedlings 600 —

2 560 —

4 460 —

6 340 67

8 240 84

10 155 85

12 115 90

14 90 96

16 72 101

18 60 106

20 51 111

— = not applicable.

Timberland. Forestland capable of producing 20 cubic

feet of industrial wood per acre per year and not withdrawn

from timber utilization.

Timber products. Roundwood products and byproducts.

Tree. Woody plants having one erect perennial stem or

trunk at least 3 inches d.b.h., a more or less definitely

formed crown of foliage, and a height of at least 13 feet

(at maturity).

Tree grade. A classification of the saw-log portion of

sawtimber trees based on: (1) the grade of the butt log or

(2) the ability to produce at least one 12-foot or two 8-foot

logs in the upper section of the saw-log portion. Tree grade

is an indicator of quality; grade 1 is the best quality.

Upper-stem portion. The part of the main stem or fork of

sawtimber trees above the saw-log top to minimum top

diameter 4.0 inches outside bark or to the point where the

main stem or fork breaks into limbs.

Volume of live trees. The cubic-foot volume of sound wood

in live trees at least 5.0 inches d.b.h. from a 1-foot stump to a

minimum 4.0-inch top d.o.b. of the central stem.

Volume of saw-log portion of sawtimber trees. The cubicfoot volume of sound wood in the saw-log portion of

sawtimber trees. Volume is the net result after deductions for

rot, sweep, and other defects that affect use for lumber.

Metric Equivalents

1 acre = 4,046.86 m2 or 0.404686 ha

1 cubic foot = 0.028317 m3

1 inch = 2.54 cm or 0.0254 m

Breast height = 1.4 m above the ground

1 square foot = 929.03 cm2

 or 0.0929 m2

1 square foot per basal area = 0.229568 m2/ha

1 pound = 0.454 kg

1 ton = 0.907 mt
20
21

Appendix
22
23

Index of Tables

Table A.1—Area of forestland by national forest and foresttype group, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests,

2001

Table A.2—Area of forestland by forest-type group, stand

origin, and national forest, Francis Marion and Sumter

National Forests, 2001

Table A.3—Number of live trees on forestland by species

group and diameter class, Francis Marion and Sumter

National Forests, 2001

Table A.4—Number of live trees on forestland by species

group, national forest, and diameter class, Francis Marion

and Sumter National Forests, 2001

Table A.5—Number of growing-stock trees on forestland

by species group and diameter class, Francis Marion and

Sumter National Forests, 2001

Table A.6—Aboveground dry weight biomass estimates

by species group and national forest, Francis Marion and

Sumter National Forests, 2001

Table A.7—Basal area of live trees on forestland by

national forest and species group, Francis Marion and

Sumter National Forests, 2001

Table A.8—Volume of live trees on forestland by species

group and diameter class, Francis Marion and Sumter

National Forests, 2001

Table A.9—Volume of live trees on Francis Marion

National Forest forestland by species group and diameter

class, 2001

Table A.10—Volume of live trees on Sumter National

Forest forestland by species group and diameter class, 2001

Table A.11—Area of forestland by stand-age class and

forest-type group, Francis Marion and Sumter National

Forests, 2001

Table A.12—Area of forestland by stand-age class and

national forest, Francis Marion and Sumter National

Forests, 2001

Table A.13—Number of standing dead trees on forestland

by species group, national forest, and diameter class,

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001

Table A.14—Area of timberland by national forest and

forest-type group, Francis Marion and Sumter National

Forests, 2001

Table A.15—Area of timberland by national forest and

stand-size class, Francis Marion and Sumter National

Forests, 2001

Table A.16—Number of live trees on timberland by species

group and diameter class, Francis Marion and Sumter

National Forests, 1978

Table A.17—Number of live trees on timberland by species

group and diameter class, Francis Marion and Sumter

National Forests, 1986

Table A.18—Number of live trees on timberland by species

group and diameter class, Francis Marion and Sumter

National Forests, 1993

Table A.19—Number of live trees on timberland by species

group and diameter class, Francis Marion and Sumter

National Forests, 2001

Table A.20—Comparison of 1978, 1986, 1993, and 2001

growing-stock growth and removals by national forest,

year, and species group, South Carolina

Table A.21—Comparison of 1978, 1986, 1993, and 2001

sawtimber growth and removals by national forest, year,

and species group, South Carolina

Table A.22—Mortality of live trees, growing stock, and

sawtimber by national forest and species group, Francis

Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001
24

Table A.1—Area of forestland by national forest and forest-type group, Francis Marion and Sumter National 

Forests, 2001

OakNational forest pine

Francis Marion 263.1 — 12.9 126.8 22.9 11.2 89.4 —

Sumter 344.8 6.5 — 197.5 47.6 77.2 3.2 12.9

 Total 608.0 6.5 12.9 324.2 70.5 88.4 92.6 12.9

— = no sample for the cell. 

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding. 

cottonwood

Whitered-jackLongleafslash

Loblollyshortleaf Oakhickory

All

groups

Forest-type group

thousand acres

pine pine pine

Oak-gumcypress

Elm-ash-
25

Table A.2—Area of forestland by forest-type group, 

stand origin, and national forest, Francis Marion and 

Sumter National Forests, 2001

Forest-type group

and stand origin

Softwood types

 White-red-jack pine

 Planted — — —

 Natural 6.5 — 6.5

 Total 6.5 — 6.5

 Longleaf-slash pine

 Planted 2.2 2.2 —

 Natural 10.7 10.7 —

 Total 12.9 12.9 —

 Loblolly-shortleaf pine

 Planted 82.0 24.2 57.7

 Natural 242.3 102.5 139.8

 Total 324.2 126.8 197.5

 Total softwoods 343.7 139.7 204.0

Hardwood types

 Oak-pine

 Planted — — —

 Natural 70.5 22.9 47.6

 Total 70.5 22.9 47.6

 Oak-hickory 88.4 11.2 77.2

 Oak-gum-cypress 92.6 89.4 3.2

 Elm-ash-cottonwood 12.9 — 12.9

 Total hardwoods 264.3 123.5 140.9

All groups 608.0 263.1 344.8

— = no sample for the cell. 

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to 

rounding.

Marion Sumter

thousand acres

National forest

Francis

forests

Both
26

Table A.3—Number of live trees on forestland by species group and diameter class, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 

2001

All 1.0 – 3.0 – 5.0 – 7.0 – 9.0 – 11.0 – 13.0 – 15.0 – 17.0 – 19.0 – 21.0 –

Species group classes 2.9 4.9 6.9 8.9 10.9 12.9 14.9 16.9 18.9 20.9 28.9

Softwood

 Yellow pine 150,564 73,270 32,108 18,168 10,758 5,537 4,140 2,413 1,987 1,082 414 657 31

 Other softwoods 14,251 9,159 2,092 1,078 704 274 353 302 155 41 52 0 41

 All softwoods 164,815 82,429 34,200 19,246 11,462 5,811 4,493 2,715 2,142 1,123 466 657 72

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 157,641 107,947 22,645 11,648 6,670 3,379 2,277 1,481 501 314 371 336 73

 Hard hardwood 133,980 90,131 22,669 9,266 5,207 2,902 1,267 1,156 424 390 342 225 0

 All hardwoods 291,621 198,078 45,314 20,914 11,877 6,281 3,544 2,637 925 704 713 561 73

All species 456,436 280,507 79,514 40,160 23,339 12,092 8,037 5,352 3,067 1,827 1,179 1,218 145

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

29.0 and

 larger

thousand trees

Diameter class (inches at breast height )

Table A.4—Number of live trees on forestland by species group, national forest, and diameter

class, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001

Species group <5.0 < 5.0

Softwood

 Yellow pine 150,564 65,097 13,974 40,281 31,212

 Other softwoods 14,251 3,219 1,479 8,031 1,522

 All softwoods 164,815 68,316 15,453 48,312 32,734

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 157,641 61,039 15,455 69,553 11,593

 Hard hardwood 133,980 41,081 5,158 71,719 16,022

 All hardwoods 291,621 102,120 20,613 141,272 27,615

All species 456,436 170,436 36,066 189,584 60,349

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

thousand trees

5.0 and larger 5.0 and larger 

Francis Marion Sumter

All classes

Diameter class (inches at breast height )
27

Table A.5—Number of growing-stock trees on forestland by species group and diameter class, Francis Marion and Sumter National 

Forests, 2001

All 1.0 – 3.0 – 5.0 – 7.0 – 9.0 – 11.0 – 13.0 – 15.0 – 17.0 – 19.0 – 21.0 –

Species group classes 2.9 4.9 6.9 8.9 10.9 12.9 14.9 16.9 18.9 20.9 28.9

Softwood

 Yellow pine 136,871 63,428 29,126 17,643 10,651 5,333 4,140 2,413 1,987 1,049 414 657 31

 Other softwoods 9,469 5,238 1,440 1,031 616 274 312 269 155 41 52 0 41

 All softwoods 146,340 68,666 30,566 18,674 11,267 5,607 4,452 2,682 2,142 1,090 466 657 72

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 74,494 40,676 12,935 8,056 5,262 2,943 1,844 1,280 459 314 350 302 73

 Hard hardwood 39,188 15,526 8,751 5,777 3,526 2,190 1,038 1,115 424 315 301 225 0

 All hardwoods 113,682 56,202 21,686 13,833 8,788 5,133 2,882 2,395 883 629 651 527 73

All species 260,022 124,868 52,252 32,507 20,055 10,740 7,334 5,077 3,025 1,719 1,117 1,184 145

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

29.0 and

 larger

thousand trees

Diameter class (inches at breast height )

Table A.6—Aboveground dry weight biomass estimates by 

species group and national forest, Francis Marion and Sumter 

National Forests, 2001

Both Francis

Species group forests Marion Sumter 

Softwood 

 Yellow pine 14,112,880 3,235,280 10,877,600

 Other softwoods 1,177,647 847,499 330,149

 All softwoods 15,290,527 4,082,779 11,207,749

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 7,174,382 3,307,185 3,867,197

 Hard hardwood 6,583,082 1,286,701 5,296,381

 All hardwoods 13,757,464 4,593,886 9,163,578

All species 29,047,991 8,676,666 20,371,326

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

tons

National forest 
28

Table A.7—Basal area of live trees on forestland by national forest and species group, Francis Marion and Sumter

National Forests, 2001

National forest

Francis Marion 83 36 31 5 46 33 13

Sumter 110 58 56 2 51 23 28

 All national forests (combined) 98 49 45 4 49 27 22

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Softwoods 

All 

hardwoods 

Hardwoods

Yellow 

pine

Other 

softwoods 

All 

softwoods

square feet per acre

Soft 

hardwood 

Hard 

hardwood 

All 

species 

Table A.8—Volume of live trees on forestland by species group and diameter class, Francis Marion and Sumter 

National Forests, 2001 

 All 5.0 – 7.0 – 9.0 – 11.0 – 13.0 – 15.0 – 17.0 – 21.0 –

Species group classes 6.9 8.9 10.9 12.9 14.9 16.9 18.9 20.9 28.9

Softwood

 Yellow pine 626.9 42.8 65.9 69.6 87.3 77.8 91.1 68.0 33.3 84.6 6.6

 Other softwoods 45.6 3.0 4.4 3.5 6.0 7.8 5.7 1.2 2.3 0.0 11.5

 All softwoods 672.5 45.8 70.3 73.1 93.3 85.7 96.8 69.2 35.6 84.6 18.1

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 280.5 26.6 39.2 37.1 41.1 35.2 16.8 13.2 24.1 31.5 15.8

 Hard hardwood 213.4 22.1 30.3 32.4 22.1 30.7 13.8 19.0 22.0 21.0 0.0

 All hardwoods 493.9 48.8 69.5 69.5 63.1 65.9 30.5 32.2 46.1 52.5 15.8

All species 1,166.4 94.6 139.8 142.6 156.4 151.6 127.3 101.4 81.7 137.1 34.0

0.0 = a value of > 0.0 but < 0.05 for the cell.

Volume not calculated for trees < 5.0 d.b.h.

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding. 

29.0 and

larger

million cubic feet

Diameter class (inches at breast height )

19.0 –
29

Table A.9—Volume of live trees on Francis Marion National Forest forestland by species group and diameter 

class, 2001

9.0 –

Species group 6.9 8.9 10.9

Softwood

 Yellow pine 131.2 10.9 21.3 23.2 39.1 11.5 16.2 2.4 2.0 4.7 0.0

 Other softwoods 34.7 0.8 2.1 1.7 5.4 5.4 4.3 1.2 2.3 0.0 11.5

 All softwoods 166.0 11.7 23.4 24.9 44.4 16.9 20.5 3.6 4.4 4.7 11.5

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 128.2 13.5 20.5 21.1 20.9 21.7 11.3 9.6 9.6 0.0 —

 Hard hardwood 36.0 5.9 5.4 4.7 3.0 1.0 7.8 2.6 2.9 2.8 0.0

 All hardwoods 164.2 19.4 25.9 25.8 23.9 22.6 19.1 12.2 12.4 2.8 0.0

All species 330.1 31.1 49.3 50.6 68.4 39.5 39.6 15.9 16.8 7.5 11.5

— = no sample for the cell; 0.0 = a value of > 0.0 but < 0.05 for the cell.

Volume not calculated for trees < 5.0 d.b.h.

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Diameter class (inches at breast height )

million cubic feet

21.0 –

28.9

All

classes

17.0 – 19.0 –

18.9

5.0 – 7.0 – 29.0 an 11.0 – d

12.9

13.0 –

14.9

15.0 –

16.9 larger 20.9

Table A.10—Volume of live trees on Sumter National Forest forestland by species group and diameter class, 2001

9.0 – 13.0 – 21.0 –

Species group 10.9 14.9 28.9

Softwood

 Yellow pine 495.7 31.8 44.6 46.4 48.2 66.4 74.9 65.6 31.3 79.9 6.6

 Other softwoods 10.8 2.3 2.3 1.8 0.7 2.4 1.4 — 0.0 0.0 —

 All softwoods 506.5 34.1 46.8 48.2 48.8 68.8 76.3 65.6 31.3 79.9 6.6

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 152.3 13.1 18.7 16.0 20.2 13.5 5.5 3.5 14.5 31.5 15.8

 Hard hardwood 177.5 16.3 25.0 27.8 19.1 29.7 5.9 16.4 19.1 18.2 0.0

 All hardwoods 329.7 29.4 43.6 43.7 39.2 43.3 11.4 20.0 33.6 49.7 15.8

All species 836.3 63.5 90.5 91.9 88.0 112.1 87.7 85.6 64.9 129.6 22.5

— = no sample for the cell; 0.0 = a value of > 0.0 but < 0.05 for the cell.

Volume not calculated for trees < 5.0 d.b.h.

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Diameter class (inches at breast height )

5.0 –

6.9

7.0 –

8.9

17.0 –

18.9

11.0 –

12.9

29.0 and

larger

million cubic feet

All

classes

19.0 –

20.9

15.0 –

16.9
30

Table A.11—Area of forestland by stand-age class and forest-type group, Francis Marion and Sumter National 

Forests, 2001

Stand-age Oakclass pine

0 – 10 80.2 — 2.2 61.2 4.4 6.9 4.4 1.3

11 – 20 81.4 — — 52.5 9.6 10.2 9.1 —

21 – 30 64.0 — — 48.8 5.2 5.2 4.8 —

31 – 40 41.5 — 1.7 35.8 2.6 1.4 — —

41 – 50 45.3 — — 14.1 6.5 17.8 6.9 —

51 – 60 77.7 5.2 6.9 30.5 8.2 4.6 18.8 3.5

61 – 70 93.7 1.3 2.2 56.8 9.9 13.3 6.9 3.5

71 – 80 50.0 — — 13.0 — 15.7 21.3 —

81 – 90 22.9 — — 9.5 — 2.7 6.9 3.9

91 – 100 24.2 — — 2.2 3.9 5.4 12.0 0.7

> 100 27.2 — — — 20.2 5.2 1.7 —

 All classes 608.0 6.5 12.9 324.2 70.5 88.4 92.6 12.9

— = no sample for the cell. 

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding. 

Forest-type group

White- Longleaf- Loblollycottonwood

All red-jack slash shortleaf

thousand acres

Oak- Oak-gum- Elm-ashgroups pine pine pine hickory cypress

Table A.12—Area of forestland by stand-age 

class and national forest, Francis Marion 

and Sumter National Forests, 2001

Stand-age 

class 

0 – 10 80.2 57.9 22.3

11 – 20 81.4 42.9 38.5

21 – 30 64.0 29.1 34.9

31 – 40 41.5 19.4 22.1

41 – 50 45.3 15.1 30.2

51 – 60 77.7 41.1 36.6

61 – 70 93.7 15.9 77.9

71 – 80 50.0 21.3 28.7

81 – 90 22.9 6.9 16.1

91 – 100 24.2 12.0 12.2

> 100 27.2 1.7 25.5

 All classes 608.0 263.2 344.8

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals 

due to rounding. 

Marion Sumter

thousand acres

National forest

 Both 

forests

Francis 
31

Table A.14—Area of timberland by national forest and forest-type group, Francis Marion and Sumter National 

Forests, 2001 

OakNational forest pine

Francis Marion 247.0 — 12.9 126.8 22.9 11.2 73.3 —

Sumter 329.1 6.5 — 197.5 31.9 77.2 3.2 12.9

 Total 576.1 6.5 12.9 324.2 54.8 88.4 76.5 12.9

— = no sample for the cell. 

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding. 

Forest-type group

White- Longleaf- Loblollycottonwood

All red-jack slash shortleaf

thousand acres

Oak- Oak-gum- Elm-ashgroups pine pine pine hickory cypress

Table A.13—Number of standing dead trees on forestland by species group, 

national forest, and diameter class, Francis Marion and Sumter National 

Forests, 2001

Species group > 11 >11

Softwood

 Yellow pine 2.59 0.40 0.27 1.07 0.85

 Other softwoods 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.00

 All softwoods 2.69 0.40 0.27 1.17 0.85

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 0.64 0.25 0.16 0.17 0.05

 Hard hardwood 0.84 0.04 0.09 0.62 0.09

 All hardwoods 1.48 0.30 0.26 0.79 0.14

All species 4.17 0.69 0.53 1.96 0.99

0.0 = a value of > 0.0 but < 0.05 for the cell.

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Sumter

Diameter class (inches at breast height )

million trees

All classes 5.0 – 10.9

Francis Marion 

5.0 – 10.9
32

Table A.15—Area of timberland by national forest and stand-size 

class, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001

National forest

Francis Marion 247.0 91.7 58.4 96.9

Sumter 329.1 197.4 96.5 35.2

 Total 576.1 289.2 154.8 132.1

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Stand-size class

All

classes

thousand acres

Sawtimber Poletimber

Saplingseedling

Table A.16—Number of live trees on timberland by species group and diameter 

class, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 1978 

All 1.0 – 5.0 – 11.0 –

Species group classes 4.9 10.9 16.9

Softwood

 Yellow pine 136,806 93,124 29,008 12,392 2,282

 Other softwoods 16,963 13,021 2,770 814 358

 All softwoods 153,769 106,145 31,778 13,206 2,640

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 153,116 128,262 19,736 4,207 911

 Hard hardwood 111,000 92,502 15,155 2,513 830

 All hardwoods 264,116 220,764 34,891 6,720 1,741

All species 417,885 326,909 66,669 19,926 4,381

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Diameter class (inches at breast height )

thousand trees 

 larger

17.0 and
33

Table A.17—Number of live trees on timberland by species group and diameter 

class, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 1986 

All 1.0 – 5.0 – 11.0 –

Species group classes 4.9 10.9 16.9

Softwood

 Yellow pine 144,410 102,809 28,359 10,260 2,982

 Other softwoods 17,689 12,741 3,827 730 391

 All softwoods 162,099 115,550 32,186 10,990 3,373

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 135,170 112,837 17,819 3,626 888

 Hard hardwood 110,637 94,143 12,560 3,196 738

 All hardwoods 245,807 206,980 30,379 6,822 1,626

All species 407,906 322,530 62,565 17,812 4,999

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Diameter class (inches at breast height )

17.0 and

 larger

thousand trees 

Table A.18—Number of live trees on timberland by species group and diameter

class, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 1993 

All 1.0 – 5.0 – 11.0 –

Species group classes 4.9 10.9 16.9

Softwood

 Yellow pine 129,415 93,367 27,239 6,600 2,209

 Other softwoods 18,838 14,317 3,418 731 372

 All softwoods 148,253 107,684 30,657 7,331 2,581

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 141,766 121,127 16,586 3,228 825

 Hard hardwood 109,163 94,507 11,331 2,769 556

 All hardwoods 250,929 215,634 27,917 5,997 1,381

All species 399,182 323,318 58,574 13,328 3,962

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Diameter class (inches at breast height )

17.0 and

 larger

thousand trees 
34

Table A.19—Number of live trees on timberland by species group and diameter 

class, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001 

All 1.0 – 5.0 – 11.0 –

Species group classes 4.9 10.9 16.9

Softwood

 Yellow pine 149,784 105,276 34,244 8,084 2,180

 Other softwoods 14,251 11,250 2,056 810 135

 All softwoods 164,035 116,526 36,300 8,894 2,315

Hardwood

 Soft hardwood 153,558 129,371 19,606 3,488 1,093

 Hard hardwood 127,403 107,996 15,880 2,660 867

 All hardwoods 280,961 237,367 35,486 6,148 1,960

All species 444,996 353,893 71,786 15,042 4,275

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

thousand trees 

larger

17.0 and 

Diameter class (inches at breast height )

Table A.20—Comparison of 1978, 1986, 1993, and 2001 growing-stock 

growth and removals by national forest, year, and species group, 

South Carolina

National forest 

and year

Francis Marion

 1978 10.04 4.49 9.04 0.47

 1986 11.65 3.95 8.90 0.49

 1993 -17.09 -2.62 3.99 1.02

 2001 5.22 -0.58 2.47 0.00

Sumter 

 1978 16.33 7.94 19.81 1.41

 1986 11.95 6.08 10.59 1.43

 1993 12.62 5.83 5.58 4.12

 2001 11.01 5.98 4.37 0.60

0.00 = a value of > 0.00 but < 0.05 for the cell. 

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Growth Removals 

million cubic feet 

Softwood Hardwood Softwood Hardwood 
35

Table A.21—Comparison of 1978, 1986, 1993, and 2001 sawtimber growth 

and removals by national forest, year, and species group, South Carolina

National forest 

and year

Francis Marion

 1978 70.19 23.01 40.08 0.93

 1986 61.08 17.48 59.59 1.35

 1993 -123.30 -16.00 25.59 1.28

 2001 19.31 -2.47 7.59 0.00

Sumter 

 1978 106.70 33.25 74.24 2.86

 1986 68.39 24.72 63.60 4.03

 1993 59.81 23.02 43.66 15.66

 2001 56.79 23.28 24.10 0.44

0.00 = a value of > 0.00 but < 0.05 for the cell.

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

million board feet 

Growth Removals 

Softwood Hardwood Softwood Hardwood 

Table A.22—Mortality of live trees, growing stock,

and sawtimber by national forest and species group, 

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, 2001

National forest All

and species group live stock

Francis Marion

 Yellow pine 0.5 0.5 1.7

 Other softwoods 0.0 0.0 0.0

 Soft hardwood 2.0 1.7 6.1

 Hard hardwood 0.8 0.7 1.7

 Total 3.3 2.9 9.6

Sumter

 Yellow pine 10.5 10.5 36.8

 Other softwoods 0.1 0.1 0.5

 Soft hardwood 1.0 0.6 1.8

 Hard hardwood 2.1 1.5 6.3

 Total 13.6 12.7 45.4

0.0 = a value of > 0.0 but < 0.05 for the cell.

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to 

rounding.

Growing

million cubic feet mmbf 

Sawtimber
36

The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is

dedicated to the principle of multiple use management

of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of

wood, water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research,

cooperation with the States and private forest owners, and management

of the National Forests and National Grasslands, it strives—as directed

by Congress—to provide increasingly greater service to a growing

Nation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation,

or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for

communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape,

etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202–720–2600 (voice

and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of

Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call 202–720–5964

(voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

This bulletin describes forest resources of the Francis Marion and Sumter

National Forests in the State of South Carolina. It is based on sampling

from the eighth forest inventory conducted by the U.S. Department of

Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Forest Inventory

and Analysis Research Work Unit. Findings suggest that South Carolina’s

national forests are recovering from destruction caused by Hurricane

Hugo in 1989. This bulletin addresses forest area estimates; timber

growth, removals, and mortality; forest health; and trends across 23 years.

Keywords: Annual removals, forestland area, forest productivity, Francis

Marion National Forest, growing-stock volume, net annual growth, Sumter

National Forest.

Oswalt, Sonja N. 2005. Forest resources of South Carolina’s national forests,

2001. Resour. Bull. SRS–98. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 35 p.
37

United States

Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Southern

Research Station

P.O. Box 2680

200 Weaver Blvd.

Asheville, NC 28802

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

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