United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service | June 2016

RESOURCE UPDATE FS-93

Forests of West Virginia, 2015 

This publication provides an overview of forest resources 

in West Virginia based on inventories conducted by the 

U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) 

program of the Northern Research Station. For annual 

inventory years 2002-2013, the sample length was equal to 

5 years. Beginning in 2014, the cycle length was changed 

to 7 years. For the 2015 inventory, estimates for current 

variables such as area, volume, and biomass are based on 

2,398 plot samples collected from 2010-2015. Change 

variables, such as net growth, removals, and mortality, are 

based on 1,997 samples collected in 2006-2010 and 

resampled in 2010-2015. Estimates from earlier annual 

and periodic inventories are shown for comparison. See 

Bechtold and Patterson (2005) and O’Connell et al. (2014) 

for definitions and technical details. 

Overview

Currently, West Virginia is home to over 12 million acres 

of forest land (Table 1). Since the 1989 inventory, the 

estimate of forest land has been relatively stable (Fig. 1). 

However, the volume and biomass of trees has risen 

(Table 1). Average annual net growth, mortality, and 

removals have higher sampling errors, indicating higher 

uncertainty in trend estimates; however, the latest 

inventory shows a notable 21 percent decrease in average 

annual harvest removals on forest land since 2010 which 

highlights the impacts of the economic recession on 

timber harvesting (Table 1). During that same period, 

average annual mortality on forest land increased by 35 

percent while average annual net growth decreased by 27 

percent.

1

Table 1.—West Virginia forest statistics, 2015 and 2010. Volumes are for trees 5.0 inches and larger in 

diameter. Number of trees and biomass are for trees 1.0 inch and larger in diameter. Sampling errors and error 

bars shown in tables and figures in this report represent 68 percent confidence intervals.

2015 

Estimate

Sampling 

error 

(percent)

2010 

Estimate

Sampling 

error 

(percent)

Change 

since 2010 

(percent)

Forest Land

Area (thousand acres) 12,078 0.6 12,135 0.7 -0.5

Number of live trees (million trees) 6,229 1.6 6,305 1.7 -1.2

Aboveground biomass of live trees (thousand oven-dry tons) 829,537 1.1 799,546 1.1 3.8

Net volume of live trees (million ft3) 28,700 1.1 27,581 1.2 4.1

Annual net growth of live trees (thousand ft3/yr) 497,794 4.2 684,193 5.8 -27.2

Annual mortality of trees (thousand ft3/yr) 294,860 4.9 218,522 9.5 34.9

Annual harvest removals of live trees (thousand ft3/yr) 196,265 12.2 247,269 19 -20.6

Timberland

Area (thousand acres) 11,707 0.7 11,769 0.8 -0.5

Number of live trees (million trees) 6,026 1.7 6,097 1.7 -1.2

Aboveground biomass of live trees (thousand oven-dry tons) 799,807 1.2 771,881 1.2 3.6

Net volume of live trees (million ft3) 27,609 1.2 26,593 1.3 3.8

Net volume of growing stock trees (million ft3) 25,560 1.3 25,074 1.3 1.9

Annual net growth of growing stock trees (thousand ft3/yr) 452,645 3.7 614,082 5.4 -26.3

Annual mortality of growing stock trees (thousand ft3/yr) 213,657 5.5 158,790 11 34.6

Annual harvest removals of growing stock trees (thousand ft3/yr) 165,913 12.4 210,660 19.2 -21.2
Forest Area

West Virginia’s area of forest land has been relatively 

stable since the late 1980s (Fig. 1). Timberland accounts 

for 97 percent of this forest land or 11.7 million acres. 

Less than 3 percent of forest land is reserved from 

timber production and less than 0.1 percent is other 

forest land identified as not being able to meet minimum 

productivity standards. West Virginia’s total area is 15.5 

million acres.

The State is subdivided into four FIA inventory units. 

The Northeastern Unit has the highest area of forest land 

at 4.3 million acres, and all units have a proportion of 

land in forest over 74 percent (Fig. 2). The Northeastern 

Unit has more than triple the proportion of forest land in 

public ownership (24 percent) than the Southern Unit (8 

percent) and more than six times than the Northwestern 

Unit (4 percent).

Oak/hickory is the dominant forest-type group, covering 

74 percent of the forest land (Fig. 3). In fact, the 

oak/hickory type group makes up over 50 percent of the 

forest land area in all but five counties in the State.

oak/hickory type group makes up over 50 percent of the 

forest land area in all but five counties in the State.

Pitch/Virginia pine is the most abundant softwood 

forest-type group. It accounts for nearly 2 percent of the 

forest land in the State.

The maple/beech/birch forest-type group, which is more 

widely distributed in the Northeastern Unit, has the 

highest proportion of area in public ownership of all 

major forest-type groups. Families and individuals, 

corporations, and other private entities own most of 

forest land (52, 34, and 1 percent, respectively). The 

U.S. Forest Service, state of West Virginia, and other 

public entities own the remainder (9, 3, and 2 percent, 

respectively).

West Virginia’s forests have been maturing as illustrated 

in the distribution of timberland by stand-size classes 

(Fig. 4). Since the 1975 inventory, the acreage of large 

diameter stands has been steadily increasing. The 

acreage of small and medium diameter stands has been 

declining since the 1989 inventory.

Figure 1.—Forest land and timberland by year, West Virginia. 

2 

RESOURCE UPDATE FS-93

Figure 2.—FIA unit boundary and distribution of forest land 

by owner class, West Virginia.

Figure 3.—Forest land by stand-size class for top five 

forest-type groups by acres, West Virginia, 2015.

Figure 4.—Timberland by stand-size class and year, 

West Virginia.
Volume, Biomass, and Trends

Increases in volume, biomass, and number of largediameter trees have accompanied the increase in area of 

large-diameter stands in West Virginia. Volume 

increased 4.1 percent and biomass increased by 3.8 

percent since the 2010 inventory (Table 1).

The impact of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus

planipennis) on ash trees in the State is beginning to 

show up in the mortality numbers for ash species. 

Average annual mortality has exceeded average annual 

net growth for ash species (Table 2).

In terms of volume, yellow-poplar (Liriodendron 

tulipifera) has increased nearly tenfold since 1949. It is 

currently well distributed across most of West Virginia, 

but it occurs at the highest densities in the Cumberland 

and Allegheny Mountain regions (Fig. 5).

The proportion of hardwood volume in West Virginia that 

is yellow-poplar has increased from 8 percent to 17 

percent since 1949. Due to the fast growth rate and tall, 

straight form exhibited by yellow-poplar, the increase in 

the proportion of hardwood sawtimber that is yellowpoplar is even more striking (Fig. 6). These volume 

increases have occurred despite the fact that yellowpoplar accounts for over one-quarter of industrial 

roundwood harvest in the State (Morin et al. 2016).

Figure 5.—Per-acre sawtimber volume of yellow-poplar for 

trees at least 5-inches d.b.h., West Virginia, 2009.

3 

RESOURCE UPDATE FS-93

Figure 6.—Percent of hardwood sawtimber volume in 

yellow-poplar and oak species by year, West Virginia.

Yellow-poplar flower. Photo by Randall Morin, U.S. 

Forest Service.

Table 2.—Number, net volume, oven-dry biomass, net growth, mortality, harvest removals, and growth-toharvest removals ratio of trees on forest land, West Virginia, 2015 (selected prominent species)

a Trees at least 5 inches in diameter. b Trees at least 1 inch in diameter.

Species

Treesa Net volumea

(million ft3)

Aboveground 

biomassb

(thousand tons)

Net 

growtha

(thousand ft3

/yr)

Mortalitya

(thousand ft3

/yr)

Harvest 

removalsa

(thousand ft3

/yr)

Growth/ 

harvest 

removals 

ratio

(millions)

Red maple 239 2,692 75,590 62,209 15,218 13,416 4.6

Sugar maple 165 2,018 67,712 49,873 15,975 17,538 2.8

Chestnut oak 151 2,714 87,907 45,372 14,003 12,635 3.6

Yellow-poplar 149 4,302 89,537 109,831 23,933 37,815 2.9

White oak 117 2,378 76,677 38,890 19,662 17,192 2.3

Hickory spp. 127 2,343 64,414 35,223 13,022 8,418 4.2

American beech 74 1,028 33,254 -2,482 18,193 5,444 -0.5

Northern red oak 70 2,294 73,271 46,506 22,485 16,276 2.9

Black cherry 59 1,204 30,648 28,341 6,102 7,201 3.9

Black birch 50 506 17,267 5,929 6,432 3,851 1.5

Ash spp. 45 782 23,416 11,130 11,600 1,687 6.6
RESOURCE UPDATE FS-93

The published report is available online at http://treesearch.fs.fed.us

How to Cite This Publication

Morin, Randall S. 2016. 

Forests of West Virginia, 2015. 

Resource Update FS-93. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

Northern Research Station. 4 p.

Northern FIA: http://nrs.fs.fed.us/fia/

National FIA: http://fia.fs.fed.us

Contact Information

Randall S. Morin, Research Forester

USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station

11 Campus Blvd., Ste. 200

Newtown Square, PA 19073

Ph: 610-557-4054 / Fax: 610-557-4250

rsmorin@fs.fed.us

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

4

Yellow-Poplar Weevil

References

Bechtold, W.A.; Patterson, P.L., eds. 2005. The enhanced Forest 

Inventory and Analysis program: national sampling design and 

estimation procedures. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-80. Asheville, NC: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 85 p.

Burns, D.P. 1971. Yellow-poplar weevil. Forest Pest Leaflet 125. Upper 

Darby, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern 

Research Station. 5 p.

The yellow-poplar weevil is a native pest that generally 

doesn’t have major impacts. However, when populations 

reach outbreak levels, the weevils can destroy leaves and 

buds and even defoliate entire trees. Growth, form, and 

vigor of trees can be impacted, and if combined with 

other factors, such as drought, trees can be vulnerable to 

other insects or diseases (Burns 1971).

During the summer of 2015 yellow-poplar weevil 

(Odontopus calceatus) defoliated trees across much of 

West Virginia. Nearly 600,000 acres of yellow-poplar 

weevil defoliation were mapped during insect and 

disease surveys conducted by the West Virginia 

Department of Agriculture (Fig. 7).

O’Connell, B.M.; LaPoint, E.B.; Turner, J.A. [et al.]. 2014. The Forest 

Inventory and Analysis database: database description and user guide 

version 6.0.1 for Phase 2. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service. 748 p. 

(http://www.fia.fs.fed.us/library/database-documentation/)

Morin, R.S.; Cook, G.W.; Barnett, C.J.; Butler, B.J.; Crocker, S.J. [et al.]. In 

press. West Virginia’s Forests 2013. Resour. Bull. Newtown Square, PA: 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station.

Figure 7.—Yellow-poplar weevil defoliation, 2015. Data 

source: west Virginia Department of Agriculture.

Yellow-poplar weevil adult. Photo by West Virginia 

Department of Commerce, used with permission.

Figure 8.—Average annual mortality rate for select species 

(computed as the proportion of annual mortality trees to 

live trees), West Virginia, 2015. 

It remains to be seen whether the recent outbreak of 

yellow-poplar weevil will have a negative impact on the 

health of yellow-poplar trees in the State. According to 

current estimates, the annual mortality rate for yellowpoplar is lower than the rate for all species (Fig. 8). 

Mortality rates are similar on public and private land. 

The status of this important species needs continued 

monitoring.