TRENDS IN DELAWARE’S FORESTS United States

Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Northeastern 

Research Station

NE-INF-150-02

 

 Delaware Department

 of Agriculture

 Forest Service
DELAWARE FORESTS

Forests protect watersheds, provide opportunities for recreation and settings for aesthetic enjoyment, serve 

as habitat for wildlife, and produce wood and other forest products. The forests of Delaware contribute 

greatly to the quality of life of the residents, making the State a better place in which to live. This brochure 

highlights significant trends in Delaware’s forests during the last half century. The data are summarized from 

reports published by the USDA Forest Service, which periodically inventories the forest resources of the 50 

states. In cooperation with the Delaware Forest Service, the Northeastern Research Station completed the 

fourth statewide inventory of Delaware’s forest resource in 1999.

FOREST LAND AREA HAS DECLINED

Forests cover 30.6 percent of Delaware, or 382,900 acres. Early settlers found that Delaware’s forests were well 

suited for conversion to farmland and cleared most of the 

original forests. By the 1800s, most remaining forests were 

in areas too wet for farming, in scattered farm woodlots, or in 

narrow strips along streams. Of the states along the Atlantic 

seaboard, Delaware is the least forested and has the largest 

percentage of cultivated land. Considering Delaware’s 

agricultural history and the steady industrial and residential 

development that has taken place, it is remarkable that 

forests still cover nearly a third of the state. 

AREA BY LAND USE, 1998

The amount of forest land has been fairly stable since 1957 because 

until recently, most development has been concentrated in and 

around Newark and Wilmington, and other areas in northern New 

Castle County, leaving much of the state fairly rural. There has also 

been a sizable decrease in the amount of land used for farming. Land 

in farms has declined by 240,000 acres since 1957. Although much 

of what formerly was farmland has been developed, a substantial 

portion was abandoned and has reverted to forest through natural 

regeneration and tree planting. These new forests have offset losses 

in forest land due to development. 

Timberland

30.0%

Other nonforest

33.5%

Farm

35.9%

Other forest land

0.6%
The 1999 forest inventory reports that forest land decreased 

by 19,800 acres since the previous inventory conducted in 

1986. Forest land is categorized by the Forest Service as 

either timberland or noncommercial forest land. Ninety-eight 

percent of Delaware’s forest land (375,600 acres) is classified 

as timberland. Timberland is considered to be potentially 

available for harvesting, though most timberland owners do not 

consider production of timber products their primary reason for 

owning forests. There has been a decline in timberland area 

since 1957.

FOREST LAND AREA TRENDS

(Thousands of acres at each inventory)

Additionally, Delaware forests have been conserved and 

protected by various efforts of government as well as private 

organizations. Conservation of forests and other natural areas 

has become an increasingly common element in development 

plans. By guiding the location of growth, some of the negative 

impacts of development and urban sprawl are minimized. Yet, 

despite these efforts, declines in forest land area are likely to 

continue in the future because development pressures continue 

to increase on forest as well as farmland throughout the state. 

*Estimates of the total land area have changed because of new 

measurement techniques and refinements in the classification of 

small bodies of water and streams.

** Based on reprocessing of 1986 data.

1957 1972 1986** 1999

Timberland 391.0 384.4 395.8 375.6

Noncommercial

forest land 1.0 7.4 7.0 7.3

Total forest land 392.0 391.8 402.7 382.9

Percent

forested 31.0% 30.9% 32.2% 30.6%

Estimated total

land area* 1,266.0 1,268.5 1,250.0 1,251.0

Inventory date

The noncommercial forest land category includes reserved 

forest lands and unproductive forests. Harvesting for timber 

products on these lands is administratively restricted or 

economically impractical. Examples include parks, wildlife 

preserves, and wetlands with poor growing conditions. 

These categories aid in understanding the availability 

of forest resources and forest management planning.

Delaware’s forests are highly fragmented, with few stands 

covering large acreages. Wildlife biologists have discovered 

that forest fragmentation has had a detrimental effect on many 

bird species and other wildlife. Many of Delaware’s imperiled 

species are dependent on large areas of forested habitat. 

Some forest-dwelling species that are of concern are the 

Delmarva fox squirrel, the spotted salamander, and numerous 

birds, including the American redstart and the cerulean warbler. 
Many trees in Delaware grow along streams and serve as 

riparian buffers that protect and improve water quality and 

provide corridors used by wildlife. Research has shown that 

a buffer strip of trees between a stream and cropland reduces 

sediment and pollutants in runoff and provides shade that cools 

the stream. Conservation efforts have focused on saving and 

restoring these riparian buffers.

Non Forest Land

Forest Land

LOCATION OF

DELAWARE'S FORESTS

PEOPLE AND FORESTS

The size of the population and how people live on the land are significant forces that shape the forest. Between 1990 

and 2000, Delaware’s population grew by 17.6 percent. As 

the population grows and sprawls into formally rural areas it 

has an affect on biological diversity as well as the character 

of the state. Ninety-three percent of Delaware forest land 

is owned by an estimated 17,300 private individuals and 

enterprises. State, federal, and other public owners hold the 

remaining 7 percent. 
OWNERSHIP OF FOREST LAND IN DELAWARE

A forest landowner’s motives and management activities 

are strongly influenced by the amount of forest land owned. 

The number of owners holding small amounts of timberland 

has grown rapidly. Thirty-one percent of Delaware’s private 

timberland is now held in ownerships of less than 50 acres. 

Unlike owners of large tracts, these owners are less likely to 

manage their forests or to allow access to their land by others 

for activities such as hunting and fishing. 

FORESTS ARE MATURING WITH FEWER 

STANDS OF YOUNG TREES

Timberland is classified by the size of the trees growing on it. This is useful for those interested in both the timber 

resource and wildlife habitat. In Delaware, stands in which 

most of the stocking is in large trees suitable for sawlogs, have 

increased in acreage since the last forest inventory and now 

grow on two-thirds of the timberland. These stands have many 

attributes that benefit wildlife: an understory with herbaceous 

plants and shrubs that provides food and cover, bole cavities 

and bark flaps for nesting and feeding sites, respectively, 

and large, dead trees, both standing and on the forest floor. 

People enjoy activities, such as hiking and camping, in stands 

dominated by large trees because they find them attractive 

and aesthetically pleasing. Such benefits from these stands 

should increase as they continue to mature.

In Delaware, about a fifth of the forest stands are of poletimber 

size. Trees in these stands are not sufficiently mature to 

produce large amounts of nuts and seeds and often form 

dense overstories that inhibit the growth of understory 

vegetation.

-Public Private93% 7%
Stands classified as sapling/seedling and nonstocked stands 

decreased from 24 percent of timberland in 1976 to 13 percent in 

1999. Early-successional pioneer tree species are typically found 

in such stands, as well as a variety of herbaceous and shrub 

plants that need full sunlight to thrive. These stands provide 

unique nesting and feeding habitats for wildlife. Besides offering 

diverse habitat for wildlife and providing a steady flow of wood 

products, forests that contain all stand-size classes might be more 

resistant to devastating outbreaks of insects and diseases. 

TIMBERLAND AREA BY STAND-SIZE CLASS

AND PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL BY INVENTORY YEAR

SeedlingPoletimber

Sawtimber

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Thousands of Acres

1976

1986

1999

15%

53%

Nonstocked

22%

67%

32%

24%

54%

20%

13%

SaplingTHE VOLUME OF TREES HAS INCREASED

Delaware’s forests now contain more large trees with increased volume. In order to determine this, foresters calculate the 

volume in the bole of trees between 1-foot above ground and 

the point where the top of the stem decreases to 4 inches. The 

average wood volume per acre increased from 1,235 cubic feet in 

1957 to 1,843 cubic feet in 1999. During the most recent inventory 

period, the growing-stock volume, that is the volume of all trees 

growing on timberland, increased by 5 percent, with the portion 

suitable for sawing into lumber increasing by 17 percent to 2.2 

billion board feet. Also during this period, the average number of 

trees per acre, 5 inches or greater in diameter (measured at breast 

height) remained steady at 165 trees per acre, with the average 

diameter increasing from 9.1 inches to 9.4 inches. 
AVERAGE VOLUME PER ACRE

* 80 cubic feet of solid wood is equal to approximately 1 cord

RED MAPLE TREES LEAD IN VOLUME

Delaware’s forests contain a rich mix of species, though many are uncommon. The five most common species 

and species groups (listed in chart below) account for 80 

percent of total cubic-foot volume. Red maple had the largest 

increase in volume. 

CHANGE IN GROWING-STOCK VOLUME,

TOP FIVE SPECIES

Red maple

All red oaks

Loblolly pine

Sweetgum

Select white oaks

0 50 100 150 200

1986

1999

+44%

+16%

-22%

+5%

+11%

2903

3339

4833

5946

1235

1529 1668

1843

1957 1972 1986 1999

Inventory Year

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Cubic feet Board feet

Board feet

Cubic feet
GROWTH EXCEEDS REMOVALS

During the last 50 years in Delaware, the growth of trees has outpaced removals. The 1999 forest inventory revealed 

that since 1987, on an annual basis, the net growth of trees 

on timberland averaged 16.4 million cubic feet and removals 

averaged 14.4 million cubic feet. This surplus of growth has 

meant an annual net increase of 0.3 percent in the volume of 

wood on the state’s timberland. The inventory recognizes two 

types of removals. Fifty-six percent of removals are attributed 

to harvesting, and 44 percent to the volume of wood on land 

that was either converted to nonforest uses or reclassified to 

noncommercial forest land. Loblolly pine accounted for 40 

percent of the volume harvested.

Fire, wind, ice, insects, disease, and other causes contribute 

to tree mortality. In Delaware, annual mortality averaged 7.7 

million cubic feet, or 1.1 percent of the inventory volume. 

Beech and loblolly pine accounted for 56 percent of the 

mortality. There are now an average of 14 standing dead 

trees 5 inches or larger in diameter per acre of timberland. 

Ninety-three percent of these dead trees are between 5 and 

12 inches in diameter.

FOREST COMPOSITION IS CHANGING

Loblolly pine now represents 15 percent of total volume—a decline from the 37 percent it represented in 1957. Since 

1957, red maple has increased its portion of total volume from 

6 to 24 percent. The decrease in the portion of the forest 

composed of loblolly pine is attributable to many factors, 

including; preferential harvesting of pine over hardwoods, 

changes in land use, control of forest fires, and changes 

associated with the maturing of the forest.

CHANGES IN FOREST COMPOSITON

1957 1972 1986 1999

Inventory Year

0

10

20

30

40

Percent of Total Volume
COMPONENTS OF VOLUME CHANGE, 1987-99

Gross Growth – Mortality +/- Change in cull = Net Growth

Net Growth – Removals = Net Change

CONCERNS AND OBSERVATIONS

The period from 1957 to the present has been remarkable for the amount of land that has remained forested in Delaware despite 

increasing economic development. These forests are maturing, as 

shown by increases in stand size and volume of trees per acre. Overall 

evaluations of forest conditions show that the health of Delaware’s 

forests is good, although introduced forest insect pests, such as gypsy 

moth and invasive exotic plants, are a concern. 

Forest values often are difficult to discern and the adverse effects 

of degradation are seldom immediately evident. As the dynamics of 

forests are better understood, the importance of Delaware’s forests to its 

inhabitants will only increase. The challenge for the future is to protect 

this valuable forest resource from the pressures of a growing population 

and from an increasing number of introduced pests, diseases, and 

invasive exotic plants, while ensuring the continued delivery of the many 

goods and services that Delaware residents have come to expect from 

the State’s valuable forest resource.

For more information contact: Forest Inventory & Analysis (610) 557-4051, or write: USDA Forest 

Service, FIA Unit, 11 Campus Boulevard, Suite 200, Newtown Square, PA 19073-3294. Website http:

//www.fs.fed.us/ne/fia/ Or write: Delaware Forest Service, 2320 S. Dupont Highway, Dover, Delaware 

19901-5515; or call (302) 698-4500. Website: http://www.state.de.us/deptagri/index.htm

Brochure written by Richard H. Widmann, Analyst, USDA, FIA Unit, Newtown Square, PA 19073-3294

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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.

25.1

-7.7

-1

16.4

-14.4

1.9

Gross Growth

Mortality

Change In Cull

Net Growth

Removals

Net Change

-20

0

20

56% due to harvest

44% due to land use changed to nonforest

Million Cubic Feet