-'8-~nHHIL SHITfS 

fOR£ST fXP£ftlffiEflT STliTI·On 

-f_12L u...:TTLb_v_1- JJ, _19_h_/_ =;:__ 

Harold L. Mitchell. Tiirector 
FOREST STATISTICS OF WESTERN KENTUCKY 

By 

THE FOREST SURVEY ORGANIZATION 

Central States Forest Experiment Station 

in cooperation with 

THE DIVISION OF FORESTRY RELATIONS 

Tennessee Valley Authority 

THE DIVISION OF FORESTRY 

Kentucky Department of Conservation 

THE KENTUCKY EXTENSION SERVICE 

University of Kentucky 

Personnel participating in the collection and compilation of data and in 

the preparation of this reporto 

Central States Forest Experiment Station 

R" K., Winters~ Chief 9 Division of Forest Economics 

Eo V., Robertsj) In Cha:rge 9 Forest Survey 

Field Work = Mo Ko Becker$ Field· Supervisor 

T$ Jo Schmitt 9 Jo Eo Wiggins» Do A., BernsteinlJ 

Eo Po Van Arsdel 9 H., A., Knudson, Wo To Plass 

Photo Interpretation ~ Ko Eo Moessner 9 In Charge 

0" Ko Hutchisons Ko Lo Qti:igley9 

Go Eo Jensen, Fo Do Brunson9 

Ko Wo Chrisemer 

Computations - Lake Compton9 Margaret Peirsoly Mary Lou Sterner, 

Margaret Large 

Volume Tables and Statistical Analysis = Go Lo Schnur 

Stenographic Service = Virginia Tomlinson.~> Edith Clark 

TVA DivisiQn of Forestry Relations 

W" W o Jolly 9 Chief 9 Fores·t Economics Section 

Eo Fo Olson 

FieldWork- Ao Ro Bateson, Eo Eo Ahlerj Ro Lo Hanson9 

Jo Ho HL~ton 9 Jo So Kring9 Ho Eo Murphy9 

Ro Lo Schnell 

Computations ~ Wo Ho Ogden9 Thelma Bible 

Kentucky Division of Forestry 

Wo Wo King~ District Forester 

Kentucky Extension Service 

Ro Ro Rider~ Assistant qounty Agent 

I • 
Significant facts - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ 1 

Tablesg 

lo Forest and nonforest area by county - -

2o Commercial forest area by ownership - -

3o Commercial forest area by forest type and stand-size class 

4o Smv-timber volume by species and stand-size class - -

3 

4 

5 

6 

5o Sa\v-timber volume by species and tree=diameter class - - - - = 7 

6o Hardwood saw·=timber volume by species group and percentage 

distribution in log grades - = - - - - - -

7 o Total cubic >.!'olum.e of sound 1..rood by species and class of 

material 

8o Cubic volume of grot.ring stock ·by species and stand=·size 

class 

9o Cubic volume of g:r.owing stock by stand·=size class and tree~ 

8 

9 

10 

diameter class - = ~ = - ~ - ~ ~~ - ·~ - - - ~ - 11 

lOo Average volume per acre by stand·-size class 11 

llo Commercial forest area by c.ounty ~ major physiographic site., 

and stand- size class - -· - ·- - ~· ~ ~ ·- - ~ - ~ 12 

l2o Sau-timber volume by county~ major physiographic site!' and 

species group - -

Forest survey procedure -

Accuracy of data - - - -

Explanation of terms used - - = - -

13 

- - - - 14 

15 

16 
The Forest Survey is a nation~ VJide activit,r of the Forest Serviceo 

The fivefold purpose of the Forest Survey isg (1) to make a field inventory of the present supply of standing timber; (2) to ascertain the r ate 

at which this supply is being increased through growth; (3) to determine 

the rate at which it is being diminished through industrial and domestic 

uses~ windfall 9 fireil diseaseli and other causes; (4) to determine the present consumption and the probable future trend in requirements for 

forest products; and (5) to interpret and correlate these findings with 

existing and anticipated economic conditions 9 as an aid in the formulation 

of both private and public policies for use of land suitable for forest 

productiono 

The Forest Sur·vey is conduc t:.ed in the various regions by the 

forest experiment stations of the Forest Serviceo In Kentucky the project is dire~ted by the Central States Forest Experiment Station with 

headquarters in Columbus 5

. Ohio o 

This Survey Release presents the more significant preliminary 

statistics on the forest area and timber vobxme for the western region 

of Kentucky. Similar reports f'or the remainder of the state will be 

published as soon as statistical tabuJ.ati.ons are completedo Later, an 

analytical. report for the state will be published which will interpret 

forest area~ ti.'llber volume 9 gro,.,rth» and drain statistics in the light 

of existing and anticipated economic conditions~ 

The field data for this report were collected in cooperation with the TVA Division of Forestry Relations 9 t he Kentucky Division of Forestry9 and the Kentucky Extensi on Service. 

- ii ~ 
--· · 

LOCATION 

OF FORE

ST 

SURVEY REGIONS IN KENTUCKY 

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SIGNIFICANT FOREST STATISTICS FOR WESTERN KENTUCKY 

The western Kentucky region includes the Jackson Purchase area 

between the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers and the three counties bordering the Tennessee River on the easto The terrain is a low ~ rolling 

plain with short ~ steep hills along the breaks of the Tennessee and 

Cumberland Rivers o Elevations above sea leYel range from 300 feet bordering the Mississippi River to 600 feet in the eastern countieso 

Agriculture is the principal industry of the region; corn~ tobacco .)) 

and wheat are the principal cropso The Kentucky Lake» formed by the construction of Kentucky Dam across the Tennessee River 9 is the largest lake 

in the TVA system and9 in addition to its flood control and transportation 

value 9 provides opportunity for a large=scale r ecreational developmento 

The total land area of the western Kentucky region i s 2~199 000 

acres of which 725~000 acres .or 33 percent is forestedo1/ The southwestern counties of Graves ~ Hickman, and Fulton have the lowest proportion of forest land9 20=25 percento In the rougher eastern counties 

over half of the land is forestedo 

Nearly 90 percent of the commercial forest. land in the region is 

privately mmed and is chiefly farm woodlands.. The principal public 

ownerships are the Kentuc:k'-,f Woodland Wildlife Refuge, administered by 

the U o So Fish and Wildli.fe Service ~ the TVA areas bordering Kentucky 

Lake, and the Camp Campbell Military Reservationo 

The oak~hickory type predominates in the region and occupies 

nearly 60 percent of the commercial forest areaQ The ~txed~hardwood 

type, consisting of upland stands i.n which hardwood species other than 

oaks predominate p makes up 12 percent of t he areao The bottomland hard~ 

wood type, occurring on the alluvial bottoms of the maj or treams ~ accounts for 16 percent of the forest. areao 

Stands with sufficient volume to be classified as saw=timber 

stands occur on slightly over half of the co~~ercial forest areao Pol etimber stands occupy 34 percent and. seedling and sapling stands 14 per- cent of the areao 

The total volume of saw t i mber in the region is 1.,7 billion board 

feeto The several species of oak make up over haJ.f (5? pe:rcent) of the 

total volume. Other important species are hickory, with 9 percent of 

the volume and sweetgum with 8 percento Nearly 90 per·~ ent of the board= 

foot volume is in saw-timber standso The r emaining volmne ls in scattered 

saw-timber trees in pol e-timber and seedling and sapling stands~ Forty 

percent of the volume is in trees 12-14 inches doboho~ and 28 percent is 

in trees 20 inches d ob oho or larger o 

- 1/ For an explanation of technical t erms used, see page 16o 

- 1-
The proportion of the saw~timber volume in high=quality logs is 

very lowo Less than 10 percent is i n grade 1 and .2 l ogs which produce 

the high-quality material required by the veneers furniture ~ and cooperage industrieso This condition is partly due to the large proportion 

of small saw-timber trees in the stando The practice of removing only 

the best trees in a stand and leaving the less desirable ones also con~ 

tributes to this conditiono 

The volume of forest grm..ring stock is 482 million cubic feet o Of 

this totaly 271 million cubic feet is in the sawlog portion of saw-timber 

trees and 211 million cubic feet is in trees of pole-timber sizeo In 

addition to the growing stock there is 261 million cubic feet of wood in 

the tops and limbs of saw-timber t r ees and in the sound portion of cull 

treeso 

The average volume of saw timber per acre on all commercial forest land in the region is 349 board feeto Large saw-timber stands 

averaged 5,402 board feet per acre 9 and those classified as small saw 

timber averaged 29 832 board feet per acreo The average volume per acre 

of gro,dng stock on commercial for est land was 666 cubic f eeto 

- 2 = 
Table lom-Forest and nonforest ar~~ gy c~~-1Y~ 1248 

-~· ,_~ 

•.rotal 

County land1/ Forest area Nonforest area 

area 

Thousand Thousand Percent Thousang Percent 

gcres acres ~ 

Ballard 166 46 28 120 72 Callmvay 246 75 30 171 70 

Carlisle 125 33 26 92 74 

Fu.lton 131 3.3 25 98 75 Graves 358 72 20 286 80 

Hickman 159 .35 22 124 78 

Livingston 204. 78 38 126 62 

Lyon 161 86 53 75 47 McCracken 161 4.3 27 118 73 

Marshall 195 68 35 127 65 Trigg 293 156 53 137 47 

All counties 2 ,

~ 

9199 725 33 1))474 67 

- 11 Source~ Area of United States 19409 Uo So Bureau of the Censu.s 9 except for Callmvay, Lyon9 Marshe.ll 9 and Trigg Countieso The 

land area of these counties vlas reduced by TVA to provide for 

the area flooded by Kentucky Lakeo 
Table 2o--Commercial £orest area by ownership cl ass a 1948 

Ownership class 

Federal: 

National £orest 

Other 

Total 

State 

Private 

All ownerships 

Commercial £orest areal/ 

Thousand 

acres 

0 

79 

79 

(y) 

645 

724 

Percent 

o.o 

10.9 

10 .. 9 

89 .. 1 

Does not include 1 1 000 acres o£ £orest land reserved £rom 

commercial timber use £or state park purposeso 

Less than 500 acreso 

- 4-
Table 3o--Commercial forest area b;.y: forest t;y:Qe and stand-size class~ 194~ 

Large Small Seedlin&!} 

saw- saw- Pole- and 

Forest type Total timber timber timber sapling 

area area are§: area Thousand Percent - - - -- Thousand acres - - - - - - - - acres 

Cedar-hdwdo 28 3Q9 12 16 Oak-hickory 428 59Ql 71 135 154 68 White oak 33 4 .. 6 11 12 10 Mixed hdwdo 95 13ol 21 25 38 11 Bottomland hdwd~ 140 19o3 71 30 35 4 

All types 724 174 202 249 99 

Percent lOOoO 24e0 27.9 34 .. 4 1.3 .. 7 

11 Includes 12,000 acres classified as nonstocked forest area., 

- 5 ~ 
Table 4.,--Saw-timber volume b;y: s12ecies and stand-size class! 1948 

Large Small Seedling 

saw- saw- Pole- and 

Species Total timber timber timber sapling 

area areg are§. area 

Million Percent - - - - - Million board feet - - - - - bd. ft. 

Redcedar and 

cypress 31 lo8 17 10 4 

White oak 248 14o6 117 99 27 5 

Post-oak group 162 9o5 76 66 19 1 

Black oak 242 14o2 109 101 24 8 

Northern red oak 68 4 .. 0 54 12 2 

Other red oaks 241 14,.2 136 78 27 

Hickory 159 9 .. 4 73 61 20 5 

Elm 63 3o7 45 13 3 2 

Soft maple 43 2,.5 38 4 1 

Sugar maple 13 .. 8 1 9 2 1 

Sycamore 43 2o5 29 12 l 1 

Ash 30 loS 18 10 2 

Yellow-poplar 37 2o2 19 12 6 

Cottonwood 56 3o3 49 3 3 1 

Sweet gum 128 7o5 72 41 15 

Blackgum 19 1.,1 8 10 1 

Beech 21 lo2 10 11 

Black Walnut 12 o7 6 5 1 

Other hardwoods 85 5o0 63 15 7 

All species 1,701 940 572 165 24 

Percent 100., 0 55 .. 3 L4 

- 6 -
Table 5.--Saw-timber volume br s12ecies and tree-diameter class~ ~ 

28 inches Species Total 12-14 16-18 20-22 24-26 and 

tnches inches inches inches larger 

- - - - - - - - - - Million board feet - - - - - - - -· -

Redcedar and 

cypress 31 1/9 10 5 7 White oak 248 130 66 29 8 15 Post-oak group 162 70 53 26 11 2 Black oak 242 99 78 4.3 18 4 Northern red oak 68 1? 24 24 3 Other red oaks 241 85 71 L~6 24 15 Hickory 159 85 52 8 14 Elm 63 24 22 8 4 5 Soft maple 43 10 13 9 3 8 Sugar maple 13 9 1 1 2 Sycamore 43 13 17 7 2 4 Ash 30 14 11 5 Yellow-poplar 37 10 10 11 6 

Cottonwood 56 15 12 16 10 3 Sweet gum 128 46 43 26 10 3 Blackgum 19 9 9 1 Beech 21 6 4 5 6 Black walnut. 12 4 6 2 

Other hardwoods 85 36 25 20 4 

All species 1!)701 691 527 292 127 64 

Percent lOOoO 40o6 3lo0 17.,2 7o5 3e7 

11 Includes 1 million board feet in lO=inch redcedar and cypress .trees" 

= 7 = 
Table 6.--Hardwood s§w-timber volume by species group and percentage 

Species group 

White oaks11' 

Red oak;y Other hardwoods 

All hardwoods 

distribution in log grades. 19~ 

Volume 

Million 

bdo fto 

410 

551 

709 

: Log grade : Log grade : Log grade 

- - - Percent - - - - - - -

1/ Includes white oak and post-oak group. 2/ Includes black oak 3 northern red oak , and other red oaks. 

- 8 -
Table 7.,--Total cubic volume of sound wood by species 

and class of material~ 1948 

Growing stock 

Species Total. Saw-timber: Pole-timber: Tops & Cull :Tote~ trees tree§ limbs trees 

- - - - - - - - - Million cubic feet - - - - - - - - -

Redcedar and 

cypress 10o2 9o2 l/7o7 lo5 loO White oak 98.,6 68.,1 38.,8 29o3 27.,4 3 .. 1 Post-oak group 68.,L~ 43.,9 25.,9 18.,0 18o6 5.,9 Black oak 100.,3 64 .. 8 38.,4 26o4 27.,4 8.,1 Northern red oak 23.,1 14o7 10.,6 4ol 7.,5 o9 Other red oaks 86.,6 56.,6 38.,1 18.,5 27.,1 2.,9 Hickory 81..,5 60.,4 25.5 34.,9 18.,2 2.,9 Elm 4L9 24o7 10.,0 14.,7 7.,1 10.,1 Soft maple 27.,5 15 .. 0 6.,7 8.,3 4.,8 7.,7 Sugar maple 7.,4 4ol 2.,0 2.,1 1.,5 1o8 Sycamore 15.,3 9o9 6.,7 3o2 4.,7 o7 Ash 19.,6 13.,2 5.,0 8.,2 3 .. 6 2.,8 

Yellow-poplar 12.,1 7.,9 5.,6 2.,3 4.,0 .,2 

Cottonwood 16.,3 10.,0 8.,8 1.,2 6.,2 .. 1 

Sweetgum 48.,3 3le4 20.,1 llo3 14.,2 2.,7 

Black gum 16.,3 8.,7 3o2 5o5 2.,3 5.,3 Beech 8.,2 3o 7 J.,l .,6 2.,4 2.,1 

Black walnut 5.,0 3o4 1.,9 1 .. 5 1o4 o2 Other hardwoods 54 .. 5 32.6 13o4 19.,2 9.,5 12~ 4 Noncommercial 

species 1.,7 1.,7 

All species 742.,8 482.,3 271.,5 210.,8 187.,9 72.,6 

Percent 100.,0 64.,9 36.,5 28.,4. 25.,3 9.,8 

1/ Includes tops of saw-timber softwood trees to a minimum diameter of 

4 inches inside bark., 

- 9 -
Table 8o--Cubic volume of gro~ng stock by SJLecies 

and stand-size class~ l9f&.B 

Large Small Seedling 

saw- saw- Pole- and 

Species Total timber timber timber sapling 

area 12J:e~ area area 

Million Percent - - - - Million cubic feet - - ~ - - - cu .. ft. 

Redcedar and 

cypress 9o2 1.,9 3 .. 9 3 .. 0 2o2 Ool 

White oak 68 .. 1 14ol 23 .. 8 31.1 12o2 1.0 

Post-oak group 43o9 9 .. 1 1.3 .. 9 18.,8 10 .. 6 .. 6 

Black oak 64o8 13 .. 4 19 .. 9 25 .. 0 18o4 1.5 

Northern red oak 14 .. 7 3 .. 1 9 .. 5 3.8 1 .. 4 

Other red oaks 56 .. 6 ll.7 24o3 18o7 13o3 .. 3 

Hickory 60o4 12o5 2lo0 22 .. 4 15o7 1.3 

Elm 24o7 5 .. 1 12o8 6o8 4 .. 1 1.,0 

Soft maple 15 .. 0 3ol 8 .. 8 3o2 3 .. 0 

Sugar maple 4 .. 1 .9 o4. 2 .. 5 o9 o3 

Sycamore 9o9 2.1 5.5 2.,4 1.,5 .. 5 

Ash 13o2 2o7 7o2 3o8 2.,2 

Yellow-poplar 7o9 lo6 J.,J 2~6 lo8 o2 

Cottonwood lOoO 2ol 8 .. 4 .,6 .. 9 .. 1 

Sweet gum 3lo4 6o5 13o9 9o9 7.,5 ol 

Blackgum 8.,7 lo8 2 .. 8 3o8 2o0 .. 1 

Beech 3o7 .. 8 1.,7 1 .. 9 ol 

Black walnut 3o4 .. 7 1.1 1.3 o8 .. 2 

Other hardwoods 32o6 6o8 14o7 6 .. 7 lOoO 1.,2 

All species 482 .. 3 196c9 168.3 108 .. 6 8o5 

Percent lOOoO 40o8 34 .. 9 22.5 1.;8 

- 10 ~ 
Table 9o--Cubic volume of growing stock by stand-size class 

and tree-diameter class~ 1948 

~28 inches 

Stand-size Total 6-8 10 :12-14 :16-18 :20=22 :24 26 and 

class :inches:inches:inches:inche§:inches:inches . 

0 larger 

- - - - - - - - - - Million cubic feet - - - - - - - - -- -

Large saw-timber 

area 196o9 26.,4 23o9 33ol 54.2 35o2 16o9 7.2 Small saw-timber 

area 168.,3 39o4 35.,0 63.,8 2lo2 6.,3 lo2 lo4 Pole-timber area 108.,6 52.,2 29.,8 16oJ 6.,6 2.,5 o4 .,8 

Seedling and 

sapling area 8.,5 3o2 lo4 2.,3 loO .,6 

All classes 482o3 12lo2 90.,1 ll5o5 83o0 44o0 19ol 9.,4 

Percent 100.,0 25ol l8o7 24.0 17o2 9ol 4o0 lo9 

Table lOo--Average volume :per acre by stand- size class, 1..2£&. 

Stand-size class 

Large saw-timber area 

Small saw-timber area 

Pole-timber area 

Seedling and sapling area 

.tUl classes 

1/ Grovring stock only. 

- 11 = 

Average volume per acr e 

402 

832 

663 

276 

2~349 

Cubic feeti/ 

l3lo6 

833.2 

436.1 

97o7 

666.,2 
Table l l o--Commercial forest area by county3 maj or physiographic 

site~ and stand- size class a 121& 

U:12land Bottomland 

County Total: Saw-ti mber: Other: Saw-timber: Other 

Total area areas: Total area areas 

- - - - - - ,_ - - - - - - Thousand acres - - - - - - --

Bal lard 46 21 11 10 25 20 5 

Calloway 75 69 30 39 6 4 2 

Carl isl e 33 15 8 7 18 14 4 Fulton 33 15 8 7 18 14 /,_ 

Graves 72 67 29 38 5 4 1 

Hickman 35 16 9 7 19 15 4 Livi ngston 78 72 31 41 6 5 1 

Lyon 86 79 35 44- 7 5 2 

McCracken 43 19 11 8 24 19 5 l'l.a.r shall 68 63 28 35 5 4 1 

Trigg 155 143 63 80 12 9 3 

All counties 724 579 263 316 145 113 32 
Table l2o--Saw=timber volume by county. major phys~~~ILhJc 

site 3 and species ~ou:g~ 1948 

Upland Bottomland 

County Total White: Red : Other : White; Red : Other 

Total oak ; oak :species; Total oak ; oak ;s12ecies 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Million board feet - - - - - - - - -

Ballard 159 53 16 18 19 106 10 23 73 

Calloway 147 125 39 47 39 22 4 6 12 

Carlisle 114 38 11 13 14 76 7 17 52 

Fulton 114 38 11 13 14 76 7 16 53 

Graves 141 120 38 45 37 21 3 7 ll 

Hickman 121 41 13 13 15 80 7 17 56 

Livingston 152 130 41 49 40 22 3 7 12 

Lyon 168 143 45 54 44 25 4 7 14 

McCracken 149 50 15 17 18 99 9 21 69 

Marshall 133 11.3 .36 43 34 20 3 6 11 

Trigg 303 258 81 98 79 45 7 14 24 

All counties 19701 1.?109 346 410 3.53 592 6J.., 141 387 

- 13 = 
J?OREST SURVEY PROCEDURE 

The inventory of the forest resources of western Kentucky was made 

during the period May to November 1948 o A sampling procedure \vas used 

involving an office study of aerial photographs and a field examination 

of randomly selected forest and nonforest plots6 

The proportion of forest land i n each county was obtained by 

placing a transparent template marked t.rith uniformly spaced dots over 

aerial photographs and by counting the number of dots falling on forest 

and nonforest areaso The percentage of the dots in a county that were 

forestj multiplied by the total area gave a preliminary estimate of the 

forest areao This was later adjusted after field examinationo 

The location of a selected number of dots falling on forest land 

was marked on the photographso The acre surrounding each marked dot was 

examined under stereoscope and was classified by stand-size class on the 

basis of the height, cro'\-m i..ridth, and density of trees on the plot " 

Plots to be examined in the field were randomly drawn from those classified under stereoscopeo In making this selection the greatest weight 

was given to the stand~size classes containing the heaviest timber vol= 

umeo In additiony a number of nonforest plots was selected for field 

examination to measure the movement of open land to forest since the date 

of photography o 

The locations of the selected field pl ots vere marked on the photographs9 which were then sent to the fieldo Cre\..rs of two men each located 

these points on the groundo On forest land a l/5=acre plot was estah= 

lished on which forest conditions were described and the species~ size~ 

quality, and growth of trees were r ecordedo 

The TVA Division of Forestry Relations~ the KentuckJr Division of 

Forestrys and the Kentucky Extension Service provided fleld personnel 

and equipment for intensifying the sampling in western Kentucky to pro= 

vide more accurate forest area and timber volume data for this areao 

Approximately 15~360 dots were counted on aerial photographs for 

forest area determinationo Stereoscopic examinations were made of 969 

forest plots to determine stand~size elass ~ and 496 plots were exa.m.ined 

on the grotUldo These photo and field examinations provided the basi ~ 

data for computations of forest area and timber volume statistics for 

the regiono 

- 14 = 
ACCURACY OF DATA 

Forest areao--Statistical analysis of the forest area data for 

the western Kentucky region shows a sampling error of ± 2o0 per cent 

of the commercial forest area or ± 14, 000 acres, at a level of one 

standard deviationo The error of estimate increases with each subdivision of the total forest area; therefore, small tabular acreages may 

have large errors and indicate only rela tive magnitudes o 

Timber volume o--The sampling error of the total board-foot volume in the region is ± 4o8 percent or ± 82 million board feet o This 

does not include the errors of volume tables y cull factors, or other 

phases of the inventory work for which satisfactory methods of measuring 

accuracy have not been developedo All phases of field work and computations were closely supervised to keep these errors at a minimumo Agai n 

the error of estimate increases with each subdivision of the total volume 

and small volumes indicate only relative magnitudes o 

- 15 = 
EXPLANATION OF TERMS USED 

Forest land.--Land bearing forest grm.rth or land from which the forest has 

been removed but which shows evidence of past forest occupancy and 

which is not now in other use. To qualify as forest, an area must: 

(1) be at least 100 feet wide; (2) be at least one acre in area; 

(3) have a sufficient number of trees to provide 10 percent crown 

coverage; or (4) lacking 10 percent crown coverageJ be likely to 

remain in forest use. 

Cow.nercial forest land.--Forest land bearing or capable of bearing 

timber of co~~ercial character and economically available now or 

prospectively for commercial use and not 'l.rithdrawn from such useo 

Reserved forest land.-~Forest land that has been withdrawn from 

timber utilization through statute~ ordinance J or administrative 

order. 

Noncommercial f~st land$-=Forest land incapable of yielding 

usable wood products because of adverse site conditions~ or so 

physically inaccessible as to be permanently unavailable economically., 

For:§..st type§. 

Cedar-hardwoods.--Stands in which redcedar comprises at least 20 

percent of the dominant and codorninant trees., 

Oak-hickoryo--Stands of hardHoods in which oaks and hickories 

comprise at least 60 percent of the dominant and codominant trees. 

White oak.--Stands in which white oak (Quercus alba) comprises 

at least 60 percent of the dominant and codomin&~t trees. 

Mixed hardwoods.--Stands of mixed hardwood species not qualifying 

for other hardwood types. Principal species include m~ maple~ 

basswood, and black walnut in mixture with oaks and hickories. 

Bottomland hardwoods.--Stands on the alluvial bottoms of rivers 

and streams. The principal species include sycamore 9 willow~ 

elm~ blackgum, sweetgumj soft maple J oaks, hickoryj cottonwood, 

and cypress$ 

Tree classes 

Saw-timber tree$--A live softwood (coniferous) tree at least 9o0 

inches d.b. h. or live hardwood trees of commercial species at 

least lLO inches d.b.h., with a sound butt log at least 8 feet 

long9 or with at least half of the gross volume of the tree in 

sound materialo 

= 16 ~ 
Pole-timber tree .--A live tree at least 5.0 inches d.b.h. but less than saw- timber size that gives promise of becoming a saw- timber 

tree. 

Cull tree.--A live tree at least 5.0 inches d.b.h. that does not 

qualify as a saw-timber or pole-timber tree because of species~ 

poor form, limbinessj rot ~ or other defect. 

Volume estimates 

Board-foot volume includes the volume of that portion of saw-timber 

trees merchantable for sawlogs. Volume deductions have been made 

for rot~ crookj and other defects. Board-foot volumes are shown in 

the International 1/4-inch log rule 9 which approximates green lumber tally. 

Cubic-foot volume 

Total volume includes the sound wood inside bark in both sound 

and cull living trees 5~0 inches d.b.h. and larger ~ from the 

stump to a minimum top diameter of 4.0 inches inside bark. It 

includes the upper stems of softwood trees and the upper stems 

and limbs of hardwoods. 

Growing stock includes the volume of sound wood inside bark in 

(1) the sawlog portion of saw-timber trees, (2) the upper stem 

of softwood saw-timber trees to a minimum top diameter of 4QO 

inches inside bark 9 and (3) pole~timber trees to a minimum top 

diameter of 4.0 inches inside bark. 

Stand-size class 

Large saw timber.--Stands having a minimum net volume of 1500 

board feet per acre in saw-timber trees, and having mor e than 

half of this volume in trees 15.0 inches d.b.h. and larger. 

Small saw timber.--Stands having a net volume of 1500 board feet 

per acre in saw-timber tr eesy and having at least half of this 

volume in trees smaller than 15.0 inches in d.b.h. 

Pole timber.--Stands failing to meet the saw=timber stand speci- fications ~ but at least 10 percent stocked with pol e- timber and 

larger trees and with at least half the minimum stocking in po e~ 

timber trees. 

Seedlings and saplings.--Stands not qualifying either for saw 

timber or pole timber but having at least 300 seedlings and saplings of commercial species per acre . 

Nonstocked.--Commercial forest land not qualifying for any other 

class. 

- 17 = 
Hardwood log grades 

Grade lo--Logs at least l4o0 inches in diameter inside bark with 

five-sixths of the surface on the three best faces clear of defect 

in not more than two cuttingso Lumber from such logs will normally grade at least 60 percent Noo 1 common and bettero 

Grade 2o--Logs at least 12 inches in diameter inside bark with 

two-thirds of the surface on the three best faces clear of defect 

in not more than three cuttingso Lumber from such logs will normally grade at least 35 percent No o 1 cormnon and bett ero 

Grade 3o--Merchantable logs at least 8o0 inches in diameter inside bark 1.rhich do not meet the requirements of higher grades o 

Such logs will normally produce less than 35 percent Noo 1 common 

and better lumber or will be suitable only for ties or timberso 

Physiographic sites 

Bottomlando --Forest land on flood plains at least 250 feet Wideo 

Upl~o--Forest land on slopes and plateaus above the flood plaino 

Species listed 

Red cedar 

Cypress 

White oak 

Post-oak group includes~ 

Post oak 

Swamp white oak 

Swamp chestnut oak 

Overcup oak 

Bur oak 

Chinquapin oak 

Chestnut oak 

Black oak includes~ 

Black oak 

Scarlet oak 

Northern red oak includesg 

Northern red oak 

Swamp red oak 

Other red oaks include ~ 

Southern red oak 

Pin oak 

Willow oak 

Water oak 

Shingle oak 

Hickory 

Elm 

- JuniRerus virginiana 

- Taxodium distichum 

Q_uercus alba 

= Querc~stellata 

Quercus bicolor 

= Q.uercus prinus 

- Quercus lYXata 

- Quercq§ macrocar~a 

- Quercus m~ehle~bergii 

- ~ercus montana 

- Quercus velutina = Quercus coccinea 

- Quercus borealis 

= Q_uercus falcata ~e, pagodaefolia 

= Quercras falcata = Quercus palustris = Quercus phellos 

= Q.u~us nigra ~ Qg~rcus imbricaria 

- 9~species 

- Ulmus species 

- 18 = 
Species listed (continued) 

Soft maple includes~ 

Red maple 

Silver maple 

Boxelder 

Sugar maple 

Sycamore 

Ash 

Yellow-poplar 

Cottonwood 

Sweet gum 

Blackgum 

Beech 

Black walnut 

Other hardwoods - include all 

- Acer rubrum 

~ Acer saccharinum 

- Acer negundo - Acer saccharum 

- Platanus occidentalis - Fraxi nus speci es 

- Liriodendron tuli pifera 

- Populus deltoi des 

- LiQuidambar st yraci fl ua 

(Nyssa syl va tica 

(Nyssa aquatica 

= Fagus grandifol~ 

- J uglans nigr~ 

other commercial hardwood specieso 

Noncommercial species - include species that do not normally have 

commercial value such as hawthorn, redbud , hornbeam, hophornbeam, alder, and serviceberry o. 

- 19 = 
TERRITORY SERVED BY THE 

CENTRAL STATES FOREST EXPERIMENT STATION 

FOREST SERVICE 

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

IOWA 

o . 

0 

MISSOURI 

ILLINOIS 

*C. S. F. E. S. HEADQUARTERS 

0 RESEARCH CENTERS 

/:i EXPERIMENTAL FORESTS 

INDIANA