Table 1. – Annual estimates, uncertainty, and change

Figure 1. – Area of timberland and forest land by year.

Figure 2. – Area of forest land area by top six forest 

types and stand size class, 2005-2009.

Maine’s Forest Resources, 2009 Research Note NRS-91

This publication provides an overview of forest resource 

attributes for Maine based on an annual inventory 

conducted by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) 

program at the Northern Research Station of the U.S. 

Forest Service. These estimates, along with web-posted 

core tables, will be updated annually. For more 

information, please refer to page 4 of this report.

1

Figure 3. – Area of timberland by stand size class and 

year.

Note: When available, sampling errors/bars provided in 

figures and tables represent 68 percent confidence 

intervals

Estimate 

(2009)

Sampling 

error (%)

Change (%) 

since 2003

Area (1,000 acres) 17,660 0.4 -0.3

Annual harvest removals of live trees 

> 5-inch diameter (1,000 ft3

/year) 623,960 5.3 23.7

Annual other removals of live trees > 

5-inch diameter (1,000 ft3

/year) 4,225 65.7 -70.0

Timberland Estimates

Area (1,000 acres) 17,165 0.5 -0.2

Number of growing-stock trees 

(million trees) 21,431 1.6 10.3

Biomass of live trees > 1-inch 

diameter (1,000 tons) 649,135 1.1 1.6

Net volume of live trees > 5-inch 

diameter (1,000,000 ft3

) 24,759 1.2 -0.8

Net volume of growing-stock trees 

(1,000,000 ft3

) 23,207 1.3 -0.6

Annual net growth of growing-stock 

trees (1,000 ft3

/year) 612,810 2.3 19.6

Annual mortality of growing-stock 

trees (1,000 ft3

/year) 251,713 3.2 2.4

Annual harvest removals of growingstock trees (1,000 ft3

/year) 550,454 5.3 16.3

Annual other removals of growingstock trees (1,000 ft3

/year) 14,843 41.6 -72.0

2.9 18.3

665,331

1.2

Forest Land Estimates

Number of live trees > 1-inch 

diameter (million trees)

23,679 1.5 9.5

1.7 Dry biomass of live trees > 1-inch 

diameter (1,000 tons)

331,830

Net volume in live trees > 5-inch 

diameter (1,000,000 ft3

) 25,419

2.3

1.0

-0.6

Annual net growth of live trees > 

5-inch diameter (1,000 ft3

/year)

Annual mortality of live trees > 

5-inch diameter (1,000 ft3

/year)

625,960 9.9
Table 2. – Top 10 tree species by statewide volume estimates, Maine 2005-2009

Figure 4. – Area and number of family forests by size of forest landholdings, Maine, 2002-2006.

2

Private timberland - 93.6 percent of all forest land. 

Public timberland - 6.4 percent of all forest land. 

Other

1 Red maple 3,170 2.8 1.5 4,808 4.8 1.0

2 Red spruce 3,126 3.7 -6.6 7,987 4.7 -3.8

3 Eastern white pine 2,719 5.2 5.3 10,127 5.8 5.5

4 Northern white-cedar 2,211 4.8 3.8 4,704 5.7 11.1

5 Balsam fir 2,197 3.0 0.8 2,584 5.2 -10.2

6 Sugar maple 2,061 5.4 -6.3 5,658 6.9 -7.0

7 Eastern hemlock 1,938 5.1 7.6 5,506 5.9 14.8

8 Yellow birch 1,596 3.8 -1.7 3,753 6.0 -3.5

9 Paper birch 1,165 4.2 -7.0 1,201 7.5 -11.5

10 American beech 904 5.7 -15.9 1,153 9.6 -25.3

Other softwoods 1,423 5.6 3.2 3,173 7.3 5.1

Other hardwoods 2,910 3.6 0.7 6,159 5.3 3.5

All species 25,419 1.2 -0.6 56,813 1.9 0.7

Rank Species Volume of live 

trees on forest 

land (1,000,000 ft3

)

Change 

since 

2003 

(%)

Volume of 

sawtimber trees 

on timberland 

(1,000,000 bdft)

Change 

since 

2003 

(%)

Sampling 

error (%)

Sampling 

error (%)
Maine –The First Remeasurement

Table 3. – Percent change in growth, mortality and removals between 2003 and 2009.

This is the results of field data collected during the first year of the third annual State inventory utilizing data where all of the 

State’s plots have been remeasured. Four of the top 10 tree species have decreased in standing volume since the completion of 

the State’s first annual inventory (1999-2003). By breaking down the components of change, we can take a closer look at some 

of the reasons for these declines. In-growth is the net volume of trees which became 5.0 inches diameter at breast height 

(d.b.h.) or greater between inventories. Accretion is the net growth on trees measured during the previous inventory divided by 

the number of years for the current inventory. All percentages represent net changes in each growth component divided by net 

change in total standing volume per species between 2003 and 2009. Refer to Table 2 on page 2 for standing volumes. All 

numbers in Table 3 represent percentages.

Since 2003, balsam fir in-growth decreased 1.3 percent (563,000 ft3), but had a 38 percent increase (+31 million ft3) in accretion. 

Mortality (-5 million ft3) has remained constant, while removals have decreased 17 percent (+11.7 million ft3).

Red spruce in-growth also decreased 1.6 percent (- 300,000 ft3) accompanied by a 30 percent reduction in the amount of 

mortality (+12.6 million ft3); but because of a 19 percent drop in accretion (-20.2 million ft3), brought on by a 17 percent increase 

in harvest levels (-16 million ft3), resulted in a decrease in standing volume.

Since 2003, sugar maple in-growth increased 15 percent (+705,000 ft3). In contrast, accretion decreased 4 percent (-590,000 

ft3), with a 380 percent increase in mortality (-11.3 million ft3), and a 92 percent increase in harvests (-35 million ft3); standing 

volumes have decreased since 2003 (Table 2). Even though sugar maple mortality increased from 2.9 million ft3 (2003) to 11.3 

million ft3 in 2009, this only represents an increase from 0.15 percent of sugar maple growing stock volume (2003) to 0.6 percent 

of the sugar maple growing stock volume in 2009. The mortality for all species during the same period of time stayed at 1.1 

percent of total growing stock volume for all species.

Paper birch had a 28 percent decrease in in-growth (-2.5 million ft3) and a 14 percent decrease in accretion (-2.9 million ft3) since 

2003. Birch mortality has increased 67 percent (-11.7 million ft3) since 2003. Even though removal levels had a 33 percent 

decrease (-8.7 million ft3) , standing volume continues to decrease. There is an ecological explanation in those stands where 

conifers are overtopping the paper birches and suppressing them out of existence.

American beech had a 23 percent increase in in-growth (+1.2 million ft3) and a 76 percent increase in accretion (+15.3 million ft3) 

since 2003. But an16 percent increase in mortality (-4.6 million ft3) coupled with a 37 percent increase in harvest levels 

(-10.2 million ft3) have continued to reduce standing volumes. Numerous smaller stems represent the gains replacing larger 

stems killed by beech bark disease.

Balsam fir had the greatest net change, going from a negative net change (-33.8 million ft3) in 2003 to positive net change (+19.3 

million ft3) in 2009. In contrast, sugar maple went from a positive net gain (+27 million ft3) in 2003 to a negative net change

(-19.8 million ft3) in 2009.

3

-11.0

Species or Group

All Softwoods 30.6 -9.2 12.2 -3.8 16.8 9.9

25.2

All Species 0.7 15.3 12.7 18.3 9.9 17.2

All Hardwoods -7.8 22.4 17.0 55.1 1.3

24.4

In-growth 

-1.3

-1.6

14.7

-28.1

0.1

Accretion Gross 

growth Mortality Net growth Removals

72.8 -16.8

Red spruce -18.5 -16.5 -30.4 -9.5 17.3

Balsam fir 38.1

66.9 -82.5 -33.3

Sugar maple -3.9 0.2 383.0 -25.3 92.6

American beech 22.5 76.4 65.2 15.6 382.6 36.9

Paper birch -14.1

-4.0

37.8

Net 

change

294.0

-4.7

38.3

-33.7

-14.2 0.0
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.

Smith, W.B. 2002. Forest inventory and analysis: a national inventory and monitoring program. 

Environmental Pollution. 116: 233-242.

USDA Forest Service. 2007. Forest Inventory and Analysis national core field guide-northern edition, 

vol. 1, field data collection procedures for phase 2 plots, version 4.0. available 

www.fia.fs.fed.us/library/field-guides-methods-proc (verified July, 2007). 

McCaskill, G.L.; McWilliams, W.H.; Butler, B.J.; Morin, R.S.; Moser, W.K.; et al. 2011 (in press). Maine’s 

Forests 2008. Res. Bull. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern 

Research Station.

Laustsen, K.M. 2009. The 2006 mid-cycle report on inventory and growth of Maine’s forests. Orono, ME: 

Forest Health & Monitoring Division, Department of Conservation, Maine Forest Service. 30 p.

McWilliams, W.H.; Butler, B.J.; Griffith, D.M.; Laustsen, K.M.; Caldwell, L.E.; et al. 2005. The Forests of 

Maine: 2003. Res. Bull. NE-164. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

Northeastern Research Station. 188 p.

FIA Program Information

Additional Maine Inventory Information

McCaskill, G.L.; McWilliams, W.H. 2011. Maine’s forest resources, 2009. Res. Note NRS-91. Newtown 

Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 4 p.

Citation for this Publication

4

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, 

color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, 

sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived 

from any public assistance program (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require 

alternate 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 to USDA, Director, Office of 

Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800)795-3272 (voice) or (202)720-

6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Contact Information

Maine Analyst: George L. McCaskill (610) 557-4045 georgemccaskill@fs.fed.us

Data processing/ access: Carol L. Alerich, 610-557-4068 calerich@fs.fed.us

Estimates, tabular data, and maps from this report may be generated at: fiatools.fs.fed.us

Additional Information

Butler, B.J. 2008. Family forest owners of the United States, 2006. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-27. Newtown 

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