A Progress Report by 

THE SOUTHERN FOREST SURVEY 

I. F. Eldredge, Regional Survey Director 

J 12, 1940 

FOREST RESOURCES OF WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA 

A. R. Spillers 

Associate Forest Economist 

SOUTHERN FOREST EXPERIMENT STATION 

E. L. Demmon, Director 

New Orleans, La. 
The nation-wide Forest Survey, being conducted by the United 

Sta-tes Forest Service, was authorized bj the P.lcS?.~eeney-llcNary 

Forest Research Act of 1923. Its five-fold object is: (1) to make 

an inventory of the present supply of timber and other forest products; (2) to ascertain the rate at which this supply is being increased through growth; ( to determine the rate at which this supply 

is being diminished through industrial and local use, '~indfall, fire 

and disease; (L) to determine the present requirement and the probabl 

future trend in the requirement for tinber and other forest products; 

and (5) to correlate these findings with existing and anticipated 

economic conditions, in order that policies nay be formulated for the 

effective use of land suitable for forest production. 

This release is based on a field survey made ;"lay 22, 1935, to 

1 1 1935, and three field canvasses of:'forest industrial plants 

to determine forest drain, the last of which was made during May 1938. 

It should be regarded only as a progress report,since it contains Forest Survey data that will be included in complete reports to be published later and that, although considered reliable, are subject to 

correction or a~plification as the work of computation proceeds. 

Item 4 above, 'thich is being studied on a national basis, is not discussed in this report. 

In the presentation of these survey data, it should be noted 

that owing to the sampling method used in collecting them, the greater 

the nmbcr of samples in any given classification the more accurate are 

I the data for that classification. Hence classes that are of infrequent 

i occurrence and relatively small in quantity generally cannot be determined \.titti as high a degree of accuracy as classes that occur more frequently and in substantially greater quantities. Small tabular items 

! are to be taken as shovting, not the exact magnitude of the classes involved, but their relative magnitude in comparison with those of otherclasses. 

I 

In the South, the Forest Survey functions as an activity of the 

Southern Forest Experiment Station with headquarters at New Orleans, La. 

assist in^ Staff 

E. D. Faulks, Associate Forest Economist, In Charge of Field Work 

I P. R. Wheeler, Forest Economist, In Charge of Mensurational Analyses 

Mote: Assistance in the preparation of these materials was furnished by the personnel of klorlc Projects Administration official project 

65-2-61-711, 
FOREST RESOURCES OF WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA 

General Description 

Lying west of Birmingham and north of Demopolis, West Central Alabama 

FO~ES~ Survey Unit Alabama No. 4) includes almost L+$ million acres within 

the following 9 counties: Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marion, Perry, 

pickens, and Tuscaloosa (map, fig. 1'. This distinctly rural area includes 

only one incorporated city or town with a population of 2,500 people or more 

(~~scaloosa, 1.930 population 20,700). Of the total population (2A5,000 in 

19301, about 66 percent live on farms, 26 percent in non-farm homes in rural 

areas, and 8 percent in Tuscaloosa. There are only 36 people per square mile, 

as compared with 52 for the entire State. Agriculture, the manufacture of 

forest products, and mining are the principal sources of employment. ~lthough 

agriculture broadly defined includes both farming and Sorestry: in this report 

agriculture is used to mean farming, and forestry to mean timber growing and 

utilization. 

Settled soon after 1300, this area, 'which was developed upon a cotton 

economy, received one calamitous setback &wing the War between the States 

and another during the boll-weevil epidemic. Moreover, erosion has so impoverished the light soils that many of the upland farmers cannot now compete 

successfully with the tillers of the more fertile cotton acres in the bottom 

lands. For this reason, the possibilities of supplementing the present sources 

of employment should be studied; and in this connection an account of the forest resource and the wood-products industries, based upon a recent study made 

by the Forest Survey, may be useful, especially when it is considered that 

more than 6 acres out of every 10 are in forests (table 1) and that there are I 

more than 10 acres of forest for every acre planted to cotton. 

Most of this unit is in the Coastal Plain with its gently rolling hills, 

although the northeast part (about 15 percent of the area) extends up into the 

Cumberland Plateau and into the Valley and Ridge Pro-vince, where some of the 

steep ridges reach elevations of more than 500 feet above sea level. 

According to the Bureau of Agricultural Chemistry and Engineering, this 

area is dominated by gray to yellow, sandy and fine-sandy loams, with some 

fine sands. In the northeast part, grayish-yellow to reddish, fine-sandy and 

silt loams, developed from sandstones and shales, are found together with 

some brownish-red to red, silt and clay loams, developed from limestone. The 

southwest part-about one-seventh of the area, including parts of Perry, Hale, 

and Greene Counties-is in the Black Prairie; much of this fairly level area 

has black (or brown) friable soil underlain by whitish material high in lime. 

Excellent freight-transportation facilities are available on the 

<lack LIarrior River, which flows from Binningham southward across the unit 

;oviards FZobile and the Gulf of Mexico. The Tombigbee River (which forms the 

:outhivest boundary of this area! here has a shallow channel suitable for rafts 

:nd flatboats througliout its length in tile unit. About five main highways, 

lostly paved, which radiate from Tuscaloosa to the boundaries of the area, are 

upplemented by many country roads. Several railroad lines, including the 

outilern, the ?.lobile and Ohio, and the St. Louis and San Francisco, serve the 

rea. 
--- - Acres - -- --- Percent - - - 

Tab12 :I.. .: Land area classified according to land use, 1935 

Productive forest 2,711,700 61.8 

Nonforest: 

Agriculture: 

in cultivation: 

Old cropland 1,155,100 26.3 

New cropland 42,700 1.0 

Out of cult,i~iation: 

Id1 e 121,500 2.8 

Abandoned 76,300 1.7 

Pasture 214,000 5.1 

Total agriculture 1,629,600 37.1 

. Land Proportion of total c T- - ea 

- 

Other nonforest 

Total nonforest 

Area 

Total forest and nonforest 4,390,400 100.0 

Although no large hydroeiectric plants are located in the area, within 150 miles of Tuscaloosa are several large water-power developments, including those of the TVA st Muscle Shoals and Pickwick Landing, both on the 

Tennassee River. 

Coal, the most important mineral resource, is mined in Bibb, Fayette, 

Marion, and Tuscaloosa Counties. Over a million tons were mined in 193L, almost half of which came from Bibb County; more than 2,000 people were employed 

at the mines in the unit. 

Agriculture gives employment to over two-thirds of the gainfully employed workers. According to the 1935 Census of Agriculture, the total area 

in farms,including farm woodland,was 2,613,000 acres, or almost 60 percent of 

the entire area; the woodland on farms covered 1,330,000 acres. Cotton is the 

principal cash crop, although in 1934 it was harvested on only 256,000 acres. 

as compared with 407,000 acres of corn. From 1924 to 1934 the cotton acreage 

was reduced 70,000 acres, or about 22 percent, and this reduction caused a 

drop in ?mployment of about 900,000 man-days of work in cotton cultivation 

and harvesting. Although the yield of cotton per acre increased during this 

period, the value of the cotton declined from about 11 million dollars to less 

than 6; million dollars; and the preliminary estimate by the U.S.D.A. for 1936 

sho~s a probable decline to L+q million dollars. Yields of cotton are about 

two-'ifths bale per acre-slightly above the average for the United States; 

but yields of corn are about 13 bushels per acre-far below the National average. 
- 88' 87' 

FOREST TYPES I7 LONGLEAF PINE 

a SHORTLEAF PINE 6 HARDWOODS 

I7 M IXED BOTTOM-LAND HARDWOODS 

Type syrnbola indicate areas whers the pirea 

iwes Prrdorninafe,bul the frequent 1-a 

occurrence of other types Is not precluded. 

ITATUTL YiLES 

AREAS CHARACTERIZED 

BY MAJOR FOREST TYPES 

IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAM 

PREPARED BY FOREST SURVEY 

R.D.A. 7-10-39 

- 

FIGURE I.- FOREST TYPE MAP. 
Some of the counties are nore highly developed for agriculturz than 

others. According to the 1935 Census of Agriculture, Greene, Hale, and 

Perry Counties, parts of which are in the Black Prairies, have at least 30 

percent of their land "available for crops" (i. e. , in cropland and plowable 

paslure); Marion, Lamar, Fayette, and Pickens, in the northern part of the 

area, have 20 to 29 percent; and Tuscaloosa and Bibb Counties, in the mountainous, eastern part of the unit, have less than 20 percent. Most of the 

land not available for crops is in some stage of forest cover. 

A recent study of land ownership in this area made by the Bureau of 

llgricultural Economics of the U.S.D.A., in cooperation with the Works Progress 

Administration of Alabama, shows that the land is held in about 20,000 ownerships, only 14 percent of which are 260 acres or more. These larger ownerships, however, include almost two-thirds of the total land area, as shown in 

the following tabulation: 

Size of ownership Percent of the number Percent of the area 

Less than 100 acres 

100 - 259 acres 

250 - 499 acres 

500 - 999 acres 

1,000 acres and over 

In the Black Prairies of this area,the proportion of land in ownerships of 

260 acres or more is much greater than in the remainder of the unit. 

This study shows also that 70 percent of the area is owned by local 

residents; 22 percent by residents of other counties in Alabama; 6 percent by 

non-residents of the State; and 2 percent by the public or by owners whose 

residence is unknown. 

Additional information furnished by this same study was the proportion 

of the land owned by different business groups, which is summarized as follows: 

percent of 

Business group area ormed 

Farmers 56 

Merchants 4 

Professional men 3 

Administrators and 

executors 6 

Banks and mortgage 

companies 3 

Real-estate agencies 2 

Business group 

Wood-using 

industries 

Mining, power,and 

railroad companies 

All other businesses, 

including farming 

companies 

Governmental agencies 

(publicly owned land) 

Unknown 

Percent of 

area owned 

Total 
Soil erosion is 0CcLIrring almost everywhere in the unit, but the survey field men recorded only the following well-marked and destructive forms: 

(1) sheet erosion, in which the soil is washing off from a generally smooth 

surface; (2) shoestring erosion, in which the soil surface is cut inzo and a 

system of small, branching gullies a few inches to 2 feet deep is formed; and 

(3) gully erosion, in which the soil surface is being destroyed by systems of 

daep gullies. In one or more of the three forms, marked erosion is found on 

10 ?ercent of the cropland in cultivation, 20 percent of the idle cropland, 

21 ?ercent of the abandoned cropland, 10 percent of the pasture, and 14 percent of the forest land, which includes many old gullied fields with only a 

stocking of trees (table 2). The forest is usually located on the 

$teeper slopes, which are more susceptible to erosion than gentle slopes. 

~lso, accelerated erosion is often found in newly established forests, which 

only recently had been abandoned fields. When a grass- or tree-growth becomes well established, erosion is generally checked unless there is considerable drainage through the area from open rields higher up the slope. 

Table 2. - Correlation of land use with erosion, 1935 

Forest 2,342,100 201,200 67,300 101,100 2,711,700 

Cropland in cultivation 1,080,000 73,300 40,300 4,200 1,197,800 

Idle cropland 96,900 15,600 7,400 1,600 121,500 

Rbandoned cropland 60,500 5,000 7,500 3,300 76,300 

Pasture 210,200 8,200 7,400 8,200 234,000 

Land use 

Total 

Percent of total 87.3 7.0 3.0 2.7 100.0 

Description of the Forest 

Total Type of erosion - 

More than four-fifths of the entire forest area is in the rolling uplands, the remainder being in river bottoms, branch heads, and swamps. Loblolly and shortleaf pines, the principal foresz species (fig. 2)) are found 

alone or with hardwoods throughout the area. The prevalence of certain char- 

'ac-,zristic forest types over large areas is shown on the map (fig. l), although 

within the broad ranges there delineated many small intermingled areas of other 

types occur as well as areas of cleared land. 

As shown by table 3, the pine and the pine-hardwood type-groups combined cover 70 percent of the forest area, while the remainder is fairly evenly 

Gully None or 

arrested Sheet Shoestring 
,il~:ided between the up1 and and ths bottom-land hardwood type-groups . The 

first three of these type-groups are located mainly in the rolling uplands, 

whereas -this fourth is confined to the river bottoms, branch heads, and swamps, 

Based upon cubic volume, the pine type-group is 86 percent pine and 14 percent 

hardv,ood; the pine-hardviood type-group is W prcent pine and 56 percent hardv,ood, ma-inlg oaks, guns, and hickories; the upland hardwood type-group is 10 

percent pine and 90 percent hardwood, chiefly oaks, hickories, and ps; and 

the bottom-land hardvrood type-group is only 3 percent pine and 97 percent hardwood, chiefly guns, oaks, yellow poplar, and hickories. 

PER CEN T 

0 5 10 15 20 25 

I 1 

30 

SPECIES 1 I I I 1 

LOBLOL-Y PINE - - - . . - - - 

SHORTLEAF PINE .----- - 

LONGLEAF 8 OTHER 

PINES,& CEDAR _------- I 

RED GUM- - - - - - - - - - - 

BLACK A TUPELO GU M 5--- 

YELLOW POPLAR------ 

OTHER SOFT-TEXTURED 

HARDWOODS. 1NCL.CYPRESS- - 

OTHER FIRM-TEXTURED 

ti A R D WOODS- - - - - - - - -'-'.' 11 

NGURE 2.- PROPORTION OF THE VARIOUS SPECIES, BASED UPON CUBIC VOLUME 

Less than one-tenth of the entire forest area is classed as old growth, 

with large, old, high-quality, saw-timber trees. Most of the old growth is in 

she ha!-dwood types; and, for all types combined, by Ear the greater part of the 

old grovith is partly cut, wit11 10 percent or more of the sawlog-size treeslj 

removed. Old-growth uncut stands, which usually occur in snal.1. scattered 

kracts, hav:? an average volume per acre of 7,300 board feet (lumber tally), 

whereas th. old-growth partly cut stands average 3,700 board feet. 

.. l/Sa~,t:Log.-size pines are at least 9.0 in. d.b.h. and hardwoods, 13.0 in. 
k 

1 - - - - - - - - - - - Acres - - - - - - - - - - - Percent 

: old growth: 

t Uncut 22,200 17,300 14,700 18,100 72,300 1 2.7 

parcly cut 33,700 32,000 46,000 79,600 191,300 7.0 

second growth: 

 rest condition 

Sawlog size: 

Uncut UO ,000 147,000 66,500 114,900 768,400 28.3 

Partly cut 198,700 104,200 L3,500 41,900 388,300 11.3 

Ijcder sav~log size 437,600 386:700 222,5CO 128,900 1&75,700 43 .L+ 

Reproductiod 50,000 25,400 32,900 7,400 115,700 i.3 

- 

Total 

Forest type-group 

Total all 

conditions 1,182,200 712,600 426,100 390,800 2,711,700 100.0 

Total 

all 

types Pine 

Pcrcent of total 

' forest area 43.6 26.3 15.7 1. 100.0 

1/ Includes 16,400 acres of clear-cut condition. 

Proportion 

of 

total 

It is noteworthy that the second-growth stands, having grown up naturally 

over the old fields or above the sturr~ps of previous forests, now make up 90 percent of the entire forest area. Almost half the second growth is classed as 

sawlog size; here the uncut stands average 3,400 board feet per acre and the 

part1.y cut, 2,100 board feet with a minimum of 400. Second-growth stands that 

have not reached saw-timber size but are made up chiefly of saplings (i.e., 

pines less than 9.0 in. d.b.h. and hardwoode less than 13.0 in.) are equally : 

extensive, but they have only a small saw-timber volume per acre, and this in 

a few sawlog-size trees. Including all usable material in trees 5.0 in. d.b.h. 

and larger, these stands have an average volume per acre of about 4 cords, including bark. The small remaining area of second growth is in the reproduction 

condition, in which the principal forest stands are seedlings and sprouts. 

Usually when fields are abandoned, or the forest is cut over, natural reproduction is quick to establish itself. In general, the reproduction has the 

same species composition as the adjacent stands, although the more prolific 

seeders and the more fire-resistant species tend to take over the area. 

Pinehardwood 

Upland 

hardwood 

Bottomland 

hardwood 
The site indew, or produc-cive capacity, of the forest land is measured 

by L,he height, in fcct attained by average dominant trees at 50 years of age. 

Rpproximately 27 percent of the areas dominated by loblolly pine has a site 

index of 90 or over, which is indicative of the better sites; 34 percent, 80; 

23 percent, 70; and 16 percent, 60 or less. Of the areas dominated by shortleaf pine, 6 percent has a site index of 80 or over; 25 percent, 70; 49 percent, 60; and 20 percent, 50 or less. These proportions compare favorably 

with those of other Survey unizs in the pine-hardwood region east of the 

Mississippi. 

Figure 3 gives for the existing stand the proportion of the area occtipied bj each 10-year age-class and the cubic feet of wood per acre in the 

Aifferent age-classes. These data are based upon the pine and pine-hardwood 

type area of 1,741,300 acres (153,500 acres in the longleaf-pine types not 

i~cluded). Approximately 38 percent of the forest area is occupied by stands 

not over 30 years old; 45 percent,by stands 31 to 60 years old; and only 17 

percent, bj stands at least 61 years old. 

4%) 2 I 22 I 17 16 I 12 (D a..,, 

PERCENT OF AREA IN VARIOUS AGE-CLASSES. 1915 

FlGURE 3.- PREVAILING VOLUMES, BY AGE- CLASSES, COMPARED WITH THOSE IN 

WELL - STOCKED STANDS ( BA~E~ ON P~NE 1 NL~ PINE-HA~LIWOOD IYPC-RLAZ OF ICRLS) 

The average gross volume (bark onitted) ranges from practically nothing 

for the youngest stands to about 800 cubic feet per acre for the stands 31 to 

70 years old, and to over 1,300 cubic feet per acre for the oldest stands. 

The average density of the stocking is far below the potential timber-growing 

capacity of the land. To arrive at some measure of the deficiency, the aver- 
!F 

e 

age stocking is compared with that on the average of the most-heavily scocked 

percent of the stands having the same weighted site indexes. This compar- *ison, which is shown in figur* 3, indicates that the forest land is capable ,f *aintaining over twice the volume of timber it now supports and indicates 

, opportunity for building UP the growing stock, without which full 

use of the soil and optimum harvests cannot be expected. 

Figure 4, which presents the number of trees in each diameter-class for 

four main species-groups,shows that most of the sound trees are in the 2- 

4-inch diameter-classes .?/ The Soft-textured hardwoods, generally Considered 

suitable for pulping, include gums, yellow poplar, sweet bay, red maple, cypress, 

and willow. The firm-textured hardwoods include oaks, hickories, elms, ash, and 

hardwoods not generally pulped at present but which in the future may be 

found suitable. Numerically, the hardwoods have greater representation than 

the pines, although considering only the trees in the 6-inch and larger classes, 

the forest stands of the entire area are about evenly divided between the pines 

and hardwoods. 

The relatively plentiful trees of the 2- and &-inch classes are forest 

recruits of the future, since it is from them the growing stock may be built 

up. Protection from fire is essantial if the smaller trees are to contribute 

their full potential value in ultimately building up the larger and more valuable size-classes. The stands are not well balanced, however, in that there 

is too small a proportion of large trees (18-inch class and larger) in 

which the greatest commercial values are found. Instead of the present 

practice of logging all merchantable trees, a system of selective cutting 

should be used in which the amount needed for the cutting is made from 

trees of as many sizes as is economically possible. Some of the largest and 

best trees, as long as they are growing rapidly, should be saved to build up 

the large-tree component of the stands. 

Of the 2-3/4 million acres of forest land, 1,330,000 acres are in farm 

woodlands, 1,132,000 in non-farm private ownerships, and only 250,000 in public ownership. A recent study of forestry practices in the non-farm private 

forests, made by the Division of State and Private Forestry of Region 8 of the 

Forest Service, shows .that for the 43 properties examined, aggregating 623,000 

acres in this unit, about 24 percent is handled under "good" practices for 

continuous foresf crops; 73 percent is handled under practices that are "poor" 

but that leave the land productive; and only 3 percent is in "lands not left 

productive." Less than one-fourth of the total forest area is included in 

this study, however, and most of the properties examined are large; probably 

the remaining three-fourths of the forest is not in such good condition, as 

indicated by the dearth of large trees and the surplus of small ones. 

The 2-inch class includes trees 1.0 to 2.9 in. d.b.h. ; the 4-inch class, 

3.0 to 4.9 in. d.b.h.; and so on. 

-9- 
SHORTLEAF AND LOBLDLLY AND 

LONGLEAF PINE OTHER PINCS 

4 DIAMETER -CLAS5ES (lHCUEs) 

b 

DIAMETER -CLASSES (l~c~cs) 

FIGURE 4.- STAND DIAGRAMS OF SOUND TREES 
Volume Estimateg t 

8 saw-timber volumes $ I In 1935 this SurrTey unit had a net volume of saw timber of about 5 billion board feet, lumber tally (table 4). According to the Doyle rule, which 

.iS in general use in the South, the saw-timber volume is not much over 3 billion board feet, but because of the large volume in small logs in this unit. the Doyle rule underruns lumber tally by an average of ~3 percent for the pine, 

29 percent for the hardwoods. Pines included in this estimate are at least 

g,O in. d.b.h., and hardwoods, 13.0 in.; and all trees have 50 percent or more 

their gross volume in so~utd material, or contain a sound butt log at least 

Table 4. - Wet board-foot volume (lumber tally, based on International )-inch 

rule) in the various forest conditions, 1935 

Total pines ~0~,500203,3001,848,400507,800 210,1003,074,100 61.5 

Hardwoods : 

Red gum 52,400 118,000 211,400 87,800 24,200 493,800 9.9 

Black and 

tupelo yms 29,800 77,800 90,100 30,600 17,100 245,400 4.9 

Yellow ooolar 16,100 23,200 86,900 25,900 8,100 160,200 3.2 

- - - - - - - - Thousand board feet - - - - - - - - Percent 

pines : 

~oblolly 146,600108,2001,2~,400274,500 S8,/001,862,100 37.2 

Shortleaf 62,100 49,000 413,500 188,300 53,700 801,600 16.0 

Longleaf $0,900 37,200 106,200 26,200 27,300 277,800 5.6 

other& 14,900 8,900 84,300 18,800 5,700 132,600 2.7 

Species-group Total 

- A 

Other softtextured hdwds .2/ 10,700 44,600 41,100 12,800 6,300 115,500 2.3 

Red oaks 36,200 81,000 136,500 71,300 41,900 366,900 7.4 

Mhite oak& 37,300 71,200 74,800 31,900 19,400 237,600 4.8 

Proportion 

of 

total 

Second growth 

Other firm-textured hdwds .g 37,900 89,900 90,400 48,900 34,500 301,600 6.0 

Old growth 

Total hardwoods 220,400 505,700 731,200 312,200 151,500 1,921,000 38.5 

Under sa"ly 

size 

Uncut Sawlog size 

Total all 

species 

Partly 

uncut 

Percent of total 10.5 14.2 51.7 16.4 7.2 .100.0 

1?/ Includes 6,500 M botird feet in residual trees in the reproduction and clearpartly 

cut 

- 

cut conditions. 

Includes a small amount of cedar. 

Includes sweet bay, red maple, cypress, and willow. 

4/ Includes about 65,600 M board feet in low-grade white oaks, such as post oak. 

Includes hickories, elms, ash, beech, birch, pecan, and sycamore. 

- 11 - 
12 ft. long. Top diameters vary with the present usable limits, but no pine 

logs less than 5.5 in. in diameter, inside bark, and no hardwood logs less 

than 8.5 in. are included; the top diLw,eters actually used averaged larger 

than these minima. All figures are net, deductions having been made for portions of the tree which cannot be manufactured into lumber on account of fire 

scars, rot: crooks, linbiness, bad knots, etc.: as well as for loss in manuf;lcture due to sweep and hidden defects. 

Pin:s (lob.-olly pine has more volume than all other pines combined) 

make up slightly less than two-thirds of the saw-timber volume; hardwoods more 

than one-third. For all species combined, the sawlog-size second growth (uncut and partly cut conditio~s conbined) includes more than two-thirds of all 

the saw -timber volume. 

01 importance to the forest-products industries is the fact that the 

material at hand is in small trees; 47 percent of the pine saw-timber volume 

is found in trees 9.0 to 12.9 in. d.b.h., and 64 percent of the hardwood volume is in trees 13.0 to 18.9 in. d.b.h. (table 5). 

Tab12 5. - Diane-~er distribution of net board-foot volume (lumber tally) in 

the various forest conditions, 1935 

-- 

- - - - - - - - Thousand board feet - - - - - - - - Percen 

Species-groups and 

diameter-classes 

(in inches) 

Pines : 

10 - 12 36,400 58,000 878,200 302,500 175,300 1,45O7L+0O 47.; 

14 - 16 64,900 80,500 600,200 131,200 30:700 907,500 29 .' 

18 - 20 83,500 37,900 242,200 56,500 4,100 424,200 13.: 

22 and over 119,700 26,900 127,800 17,600 - 292,000 9.' 

Total pines 304,500 203,300 1,818,100 507,800 210,100 7,074,100 100.1 

Old growth 

Uncut Partly 

cut 

30 and over 37,800 35,300 10,500 2,400 3,300 89,300 4.1 

Total hardwoods 220,400 505,700 731,200 312,200 151,500 17921,0G0 100.1 

- 11 Includes 6,500 M board feet in residual trees in the reproduction and clearcut conditions. 

Includes 4,600 :I board feet of cypress in the 10- and 12-inch classes 

Second growth 

As shorm by table 6, which is based on the supplemental volume-table 

study, more than half of the loblolly and shortleaf pine saw timber is in trees 

classes as "limby" or "rough," many of which arc not suitable for high-grade 

lumber. The old growth, it >.till be seen, is much better in lumber quality than 

second growth, which often occ~lrs in old-field stands. 

Total Sawlog size 1 partly 

Uncut cut 

Propor. 

tion 

of 

total 

Under 

z:iy 
Table 6. - Classification of pines according to tree grade 

Weighted average 36 47 17 100 

I 

Species and stand condition 

shortleaf pine: 

Old growth 

Second growth 

Weighted average 59 36 5 100 

/ 

------ Percent of volume - - - - - - ~~blolly pine: 

old growth 91 9 - 100 

Second growth 28 5 2 20 100 

~oblolly and shortleaf pines: 

Old growth 93 7 - 100 

Second growth 36 49 1.5 100 

Total 

Tree @adeU 

Weighted average &!+ 43 13 100 

1/ Smooth trees have at least 20 ft. of clear length and at least 50 percent 2 

of their total usable length practically free of limbs and indications of knots; 

for limby trees, these figures are 12 ft. and 30 to 49 percent, respectively; 

while rough trees have less than 12 ft. of clear length, or less than 30 percent 

of their total usable length practically free of limbs and knots. 

Smooth 

Since all except less than 3 percent of the entire forest has been cut 

over at least once, practically all of it may be considered accessible, especially to modern logging equipment. Figure 5, which indicates the proportional 

area and gross volume of saw-timber stands, classified according to volume of 

saw timber per acre, shows that almost two-thirds of the area in the sawlogsize conditions has at least 2,000 board feet per acre. It is possible that 

the data shown for the first class (less than 1,000 board feet) is subject to 

error, owing to the fact that the data were taken on $-acre plots; the combined 

figures for the first two classes, however, are relatively more accurate. 

Stands with high volumes per acre generally are the most attractive economically, 

for the logging costs per M board feet are less in the heavy stands, all other 

factors being equal. 

Approximately 62 percent of the area of the sawlog-size stands of the 

pine and pine-hardwood types (chart A) and 86 percent of their saw-timber 

volume are in stands that have at least 2,000 board feet per acre; while stands 

that have less than 2,000 board feet per acre consequently occupy 38 percent 

of the area and make up only 14 percent of the volwne. Approximately 67 percent of the area of the sawlog-size stands of the hardwood types (chart B) and 

86 percent of their saw-timber volume are in stands that have at least 2,000 

board feet per acre, leaving 33 percent of the area and 14 percent of the volume in stands with less than this amount. 

Limby Rough 
GROSS VOLUME- PERCENT 

PER-ACRE CLASS 

(BOARD FEET LUMBER TALLY)' 

5 10 15 2 0 25 30 

7B,000 ACRES 

LESS THAN 1,000 

80,900 M BD.FT. 

30l.300 ACRES 

1999 T04A6 ,'000 Y 8O.FT. 

192,900 ACRES 

2,w TO 2.999 475.000 M BDfl. 

132.200 ACRE$ 

3,000 TO 3.999 

455,000 M W.FT 

80,SW ACRES 

4,000 TO 4.999 

360,600 U BDFT 

.O.b00 ACRE3 

10,000 & OVER 67s. 900 Y BD-FT. 

A-PINE AND PINE-HARDWOOD TYPES(oss.too~c~~s) 

GROSS VOLUMEPER-ACRE CLASS PERCENT 

(BWD FEET LUMBER TULV)~ 5 10 15 20 25 30 

18.100 ACRES 

LESS 7 HAN 1.000 IA.100 HBaF?. 

121,500 A CRCI 

I,OOO ~2.~2~2 

P2,DW ACRES 

TO 2,999 2'000 232,900 Y @D TT 

88,900 ACRES 

3.000 TO 3,999 

238,600 M BD FT 

41.000 ACRES 

4,000 TO 4,999 183.7W Y SDFT 

9 ,000 ACRES 

10,000 6 0 V ER I I3 ,800 M B0.FT 

8-UPLAND HARDWOOD AND BOTTOM-LAND HARDWOOD TYPES&=S,~~ACRE.I 

FIGURE 5. - PROPORTIONAL AREA AND VOLUME OF THE SAWLOG-SIZE 

CONDITIONS, CLASSIFIED ACCORDLNG TO VOLUME OF SAW TI MBER 

PER ACRE. 
Cordwood volume 

L 

In the forests of west central Alabama, there was in 1935 a total net 

usable volume of 325 million standard cords (4 x 4 x 8 ft. ) of wood, bark included (table 7). This volume includes all the sound material from the following sources: 

1. The merchantable stems of sawlog-size trees (same material 

as that previously shown as sari timber). 

2. That portion of saw-timber trees not suited for sawlogs but 

usable as cordwood. This includes the upper stems of all 

species to a variable top-diameter limit (but not less than 

4 in.), and the limbs of hardwoods and cypress to a 4- 

inch minimum. 

3. Sound trees under sawlog size at least 5.0 in. d.b.h., 

in which the entire stem of all species is included to a 

variable top-diameter (but not less than 4 in.). 

4. The estimated sound material in cull trees, which includes 

all scrub oaks. 

Sound trees of sawlog size contain 48 percent of the cordwood volume; 

sound trees under sawlog size, 31 percent; and cull trees, 21 percent. More 

than three-fifths of the cordwood volume from all sources is in hardwoods; 

less than two-fifths is in pines. Pulping species (i. e., the pines and the 

soft-textured hardwoods, chiefly gums and yellow poplar) contain 22 million 

cords, while the firm-textured hardwoods (e. oaks, hickories, etc.) contain 

10; million cords. It is likely that, in the future, pulp and paper manufacturers will utilize some of the firm-textured species not now extensively 

pulped. 

At the present time the .principal uses for the 21 million cords of material not suited for sawlogs are for fuel: pulpwood, and miscellaneous farm use, 

including fence posts. For pulp and paper making in this unit, only pines are 

used at the present time; while for fuel and fence posts both pines and 

hardwoods are used. 

With 21 percent of the cordwood volume in cull trees-the highest proportion in any Forest Survey unit in Alabama and caused largely by the accumulation of hardwoods-rapid utilization of these undesirable trees is needed to 

make available more room for the growth of desirable trees and for the establishment of the seedlings necessary to build up the growing stock. In addition, 

a large volume should be salvaged, wherever economically possible, by thinning 

over-dense stands and by utilizing tops and limbs of trees cut for sawlogs. 
Table 7. - IIet cordwood volvme in various classes of somd material, 1935 

Pines 

Species-group 

- - - - - - - - - - - - Cords (bark included) - - - - - - - - -- 

Total 

iiardv~oods 4,714,500 2,579,600 6,203,500 6,301,000 19,796,600 

Total all 

species 11,749,100 3;775,000 10,037,000 6,993,600 32,604,700 

Savilog portion of 

salt,-timber 

trees 

Figure 6 sho~t~s the ne.t cordriood volumes of sound trees (culls omitted) 

by species-group, diameter-clzss, and tjipe of material. Under-sawlog-size 

trees make up less than one-third of the pine volune but almost half the hardr~ocd volume. 

Cull trees and the upper stems and usable limbs of sawlog-size hardv~oods 

are not considered part of the growing-stock volume of 23 million cords, which 

is made up of 13 million cords in so1und trees of sawlog size, including the 

tops of sawlog-size pines, and 10 million cords in sound trees over 5.0 in. 

d.b.h. and under sanlog size. Average volunes per acre in cords of growingstock material (computed by dividing the volune in any forest condition or type 

by the corresponding forest area) are show in table 8. The weighted average 

per acre for all forest conditions and type-groups is 83 cords. 

Upper stems 

of 

saw-timber 

trees 

Sound trees 

under 

sawlog 

size 

SounG' 

and 

rotten cull 

trees 

. 

Total 

all 

classes 
MILLION CORDS 

[ S~~CIES- TREE 0 2 3 4 DIA METLR- 5 

GROUP CLASSSS 

(ms*rs) 

668 

FIRM- 0 , 8, la,& I2 

TEXTURED 

HARDWOODS 14 1 LARGER 

I I I I I MATTERIAL TOO SMALL MATERIAL IN SAWLOG MATERIAL IN UPPCR 

FOR LVMsER PORTION OF TREES .. STEMS AND LIMBS 

FIGURE 6. -CORDWOOD VOLUMES OF SOFT- TEXTURED AND FIRM -TEXTURED 

SPECIES BY SIZE-CLASSES, SOUND TREES ONLY. 

ble'd. - Average volumes of cordwood per acre in growing-stock trees, 1935 

- - - - - - - - - Cords (bark includecj - - - - - - - - - 

24.8 11.9 15.1 9.2 3.6 9.3 

ine-hardwood 22.4 12.3 13.2 9.6 3 . 9 7.3 

pland hardwood 14.3 11.4 9.1 9 . i+ 3.1 5.8 

ottom-land hardwood 19.3 15.1 14.5 12.8 4.7 11.2 
Poles and piles 

Over 8$ million trees (table 9) are suitable for conversion into poles 

(according to tho specifications of the American Standards Associatior,) or 

piles. ;,lost of these trees have been included in the saw-timber (and a11 

in the cordi*~ood) inventory previously shorm. Since it is difficult to judge 

pole and pile material in standing trees, the estimate of the nunber of pieces 

of the various lengths nay be conservative, but that of the relative proportions 

of pieces of various lengths mag be considered fairly accurate. About twothirds of the pieces are in pine trees less than 11.0 in. ci.b.h. outside bark, 

and a like proportion in 20- and 25-foot lengths, which are used principally in 

rural telephone or power lines. 

Table 9. - Total number of pine poles or piles, classified according 

to length and diameter, 1935 

- Inches 

D.B.H. of trees 

(outside bark) 

Percent of total 

----- ---- Thousand pieces - - - - - - - - -Percent 

Forest Increment 

Pole or pile lengths (feet) 

In 1935 the fores-t increment for the saw-timber material amounted io 

about 310 nillion board feet, lumber tally (taSle lo), or to almost 1* million 

cords, including bark, for all growing-stock material. Forest increment, as 

used in this report, means the difference between the net volumes of growingstock trees standing on the area at the beginning and the end of a year, before 

deducting the total commodity train for the year. Net board-foot increment is 

made up of (a) the growth on saitilog-size trees, (b) the total board-foot volume 

of trees becoming sawlog size diuring the year, and (c) appropriate deductions 

for mortality. Cordwood increment represents (a) the growth on the sound stems 

of pines 5.0 in. d.b.h. and over, on under-sawlog-size hardwoods 5.0 to 12.9 

in. d.b.h., and on the sawlog portion of har6woods 13.0 in. d.b.h. and larger; 

(b) the total volume in pines and hardwoods that become 5.0 in. or larger during the year; (c) deductions for mortalit-J. Material in cull trees and in 

the upper stems and usable limbs of sawlog-size hardwoods is excluded from 

calculations of cordwood increment. 

Total 

20 

- 

Proportion of 

total 25 30 3 5 40 45 and 

over 
Table 10. - Net increment in board feet and cubic feet in the various 

forest conditions, 1935 

- I 

Thousand board feet Thousand cubic feet 

(lumber tally) (inside bark) 

Saw-timber material 

Pine 

old grovith 8,300 19,300 27,600 1,610 5: 200 7,010 

All growing-stock material 

Second growth: 

Sawlog size 145,700 57,400 203,100 24,270 17,300 L6.570 

Forest condition I I t I 

Iiardwood 

- 

Under sawlog 

sizel/ 60,LOO 18,400 78,800 22,480 12,280 34,760 

Total all 

conditions 21&,400 95,100 309,500 53,560 34,780 88,340 

Includes 500 M board feet or 220 M cubic feet in the reproduction and clear-cut 

conditions. 

Pine 

Second-growth stands produce 91 percent of the net saw-timber increment; 

old growth, only 9 percent. In all the forest conditions combined, more than 

two-thirds of the net saw-timber increment is pine, whereas the hardwoods produce 

less than one-third. 

Net increment expressed in standard cords (4 x 4 x 8 ft.), including 

bark, is given in table 11; this is the same material as that given in cubic 

feet in table 10. It is believed that the hardwood net increment, expressed 

in cords, is about evenly divided between the soft-textured and firm-textured 

hardwoods. 

Hardwood 

Table 11. - Net increment in cords in the various forest conditions, 1935 

Total 

- - - - - - - - Cords - - - - - - - Percent 

Old growth 23,400 77,600 101,000 8.1 

Second-growth, sawlog size 385,000 264,900 649,400 52.2 

Second- rowth, under sawlog 

size1 -7 302,700 192,300 495,000 39.7 

Proportion 

of 

total 

Total 711,100 534,800 1,245,900 100.0 

Includes 2,900 cords in residual trees in the reproduction and clear-cut 

Forest condition Total 

conditions. 

Pine Hardwood 
The average net increxent per acre during 1935, assuming that the stands 

were not influenced by cutting, is shown in table 12. For saw timber, the average is 11.7 board feet per acre; for all growing-stock material (saw timber and 

trees too small for sawlogs combined), slightly less than $ cord per acre. 

These averages are about the same as those for the entire State of Alabama. 

In this unit the greatest growth per acre occurs in the ~ucut second-growth 

sawlog-size stands, where the annual saw-timber increnent is 203 board feet 

per acre and the over-all increment is 2/3 cord. 

be 12. .- Average net increment per acre in the various forest conditions, 

uninfluenced by cuttine;, 1935 

Forest condition Pine component Rardviood component Total per acre, 

all suecies 

I I I 

-- Bd.ft. Cu.ft. Cords Ed.ft. Cu.ft. Cords Bd.ft. Cu.ft. 

Old growth 

Uncut 79 15.3 .20 78 19.0 .28 157 3i.3 .~8 

Partly cut 19 1.4 .06 73 20.4 .30 91 24.8 .36 

Second gro1s:::th : 

Sawlog size: 

Uncut 149 79.8 .39 54 16.8 .26 203 46.6 .65 

Partly cut 91 18.2 .24 45 12.0 .l8 116 30.2 ./2 

Under sawlog 

size 51 19.2 .26 16 10.5 .16 67 29.7 .42 

Reproduction 

and clear-cut 3 1.3 .02 1 0.5 . 01 4 1.8 .01 

2 \lei hted avera es 81 20.2 .20 117 33.2 .47 

Forest Industries 

In 1937, approximately 356 savmills in this area (table 13 and fig. 7) 

produced 266 million board feet of lumber, mostly pine. Over nine-tenths of 

the savmills rere classed as "small.," for their individual capacities were 

less than 20 M board feet per 10-hour day; their a-qerage annual production per 

mill was less than 500,000 board feet, because many of them were operated only 

part of the time, usually between crops. Because of their mobility, rather 

than their operating efficiency, these small mills, generally powered by portable steam engines or tractors, are cell adapted to cutting small tracts of 

timber. Their operators, being in such a transient business, are seldom interested in making ,my attempt to leave the cut-over forest Ln condition for a 

second cut at an. early date. Destructive logging practices, however, are often 

encouraged also by landowners, who refuse to sell their timber except on a 

clear-cut logging basis. 
;x 

6 m lvr.-.lv* of the mills, which were of "medium" size, i .e., with sawing 

of 70 to 39 M board feet per 10-hour day, had an average productlon for 1937 of almost 4 million board feet. Also, there were 3 "large" c sawmills (i.e., with a daily capacity of over LO M board feet each) that had 

: average annual production of almost 17 million board feet per mill. 

A 

Table 13. - Nmhr and size of sawmills and amount of lumber ~ut,1/19~7 

M bd. ft. - - - - M bd. ft. lumber tally - - - - 

Daily rated capacity 

10 hrs. 

1 - 19 (small) 153.900 13,800 167.700 3L1 

20 - 39 (medium sized) 38; 000 9;300 47)300 12 

40 .s (large) 43,600 7, 000 50,600 3 

Totai 235,500 30,100 265,600 356 

I_/ From stands both within and without this area. 

Number 

of 

mills 

Lumber cut 

More lumber is manufactured in Tuscaloosa County (note concentration 

and size of mills, fig. 7) than in any of the other counties in this unit; a 

relatively small amount is produced in Greene and Perry Counties, both of 

which lie partly within the Black Prairie. 

Pine 

In 1937, important wood-products plants, other than sawmills, included 

5 veneer mills, 3 cooperage plants, 2 small-dimension plants, 1 pulp mill, 

and 1 treating plant. About 9 million board feet were cut into veneers of 

the tjjpe used for furniture, packages, and boxes; red &urn, black gum, and 

yellow poplar were the principal species used. Most of the 5,800 cords of 

material cut into cooperage stock was used for "tight" barrels and only a 

small portion for "slack" barrels; oaks, gums, pines, yellow poplar, and cottonwood were the species used. Approximately 460,000 cords of fuel wood were 

used, obtained both on and off farms; and about 1 million fence posts were 

proZuced, chiefly for local farm use. 

Cutting, hauling, and manufacturing forest products (table 14) provided in this unit in 1937 almost 2 million man-days of employment, about 

half of which was furnished by sawmills. Because most of the sawmills and 

other wood-products plants operate only a part of the year, it is impossible 

to estimate accurately the number of people who earn their living in forestproducts industries, but it is probable that 13,000 or more received fullor part-time employment. The Census of Agriculture for 1935 shows that 

farmers of this area in 1934 obtained about 632,000 man-days of part-time employment for pay away from their own farms, much of which, it is believed, 

was in connection with the forest industries. 

Hardwood Total 
FOREST INDUSTRIES 

k!d Y LSAWMILLS &PULP MILL 

A TREATING PLANT f VENEER PLANT 

 COOPERAGE PLANT OTHER PLANT 

7°C .S..,T. c.9.c,,, m. PC80."~"" 0.. , m"n,c.7rn 7v",. 

IOoO-i.aD0 2~00~3.1.00 .4000.."r. 

FOREST INDUSTRIES 

PREPARED BY FOREST SURVEY 

SOUTHERN FOREST EXPERIMENT STATION 
Table 14. - Wood-products employment, 1937 

Total sawmills 323 536 859 

Industrg or commodity 

Fuel 548 - 548 

Veneer 15 60 75 

Cross ties 69 - 69 

Miscellaneous manufacturing 

(including pulpwood) 128 189 317 

Fence posts 17 - 1.7 

Total 1,100 785 1,885 

Commodity Drain from the Growing Stock 

- - Thousand man-days (10 hours each) - - 

~~~mil 1 s : 

Snail 191 317 538 

Medium sized 81 98 179 

Large 51 121 172 

Employment 

Commodity drain, which should not be confused with the lumber cut, includes logs for mills outside as well as inside the area and the usable material wasted in logging. Not included in the commodity drain are materials 

from dead trees, cull trees, and the upper stems and limbs of sawlog-size 

hardvioods. The commodity drain from sawlog-size trees of the growing stock 

amounted to 380 million board feet in 1937 (table 15). The commodity drain 

from the total growing stock (e. trees 5.0 in. d.b.h. and larger, sawtimber and other material combined) amounted to over 1 million cords, or 

over 83 million cubic feet of wood, inside bark. 

In woods 

About 58 percent of the drain from the total growing stock, expressed 

in cubic feet, was for lumber; 17 percent, for fuel wood; 6 percent, for cross 

ties; and 19 percent for all other commodities, including pulpwood. In table 

15, the commodity drain for industrial and domestic uses from the entire soundtree growing stock is allocated to the commodities for which the trees were 

cut, but since only one pulp mill was cutting in this area in 1937, separate 

figures for pulpwood are not shown. More than three-fourths of the comrodity 

drain from saw-timber material came from the pine component of the growing 

stock; less than one-fourth from the hardwood. 

At plant Total 
Table 15. Comodity drain from the sound-tree growing stock, 1937 

M bd.ft. (lumber tally) ~ordsJ/ - TI( cu.ft.Y 

Reason for drain 

Lumber 230,100 44,700 274,800 

Fuel 15,600 5,600 21,200 

Veneer 300 10,400 10,700 

Cross ties 11,300 18,200 29,500 

Cooperage 1,300 2,900 4,200 

Miscellaneous manufacturing 

(including pulpwood) 20,400 1,300 21,700 

Poles and piles 7,300 100 7,400 

Fence posts 1/ 200 600 800 

T.liscellaneous farm use 6,100 3,900 10,000 

Total 292,600 57,700 380,300 1,108,~+00 53,400 

I/ Bark included. 3 Bark not included. 

Including land clearing. 

---- 

From all growingstock material 

From saw-timber material 

Comparison of Growth and Drain 

After making additions for growth .and deductions for (a) mortality 

losses due to fire, windfall, rot, and insects, and (b) commodity drain, for 

1935, 1936, and 1937, the entire growing-stock volume was found to have increased 54 million cubic feet. As shovm by table 16 and figure 8, the greatest net increase occurred in 1935 and the least in 1937. For the ?-year 

period, the saw-timber part of the growing stock was reduced 46 million board 

feet. It may seen paradoxical that the entire growing stock in cubic feet 

showed a gain while the sav-timber growing stock showed a loss, but it must 

be remembered that the entire growing stock includes a relatively large nmber 

of trees less than 9.0 in d.b.h. and that, although these trees make up a 

considerable part of the growth, only relatively few of them are used.. During 

this period, net increment per year for the saw-timber part of the growing 

stock remained practically constant; whereas, largely because of greater activity in forest-product industries, the commodity drain from the saw-timber 

material increased over 54 percent. 

Pines Total 

In 1937, the combined mortality and comnodity drain against saw-timber 

growing stock amounted to 422 million board feet, which was over 68 million 

board feet more than the growth for that year (fig. 9). The pine component 

of the saw-timber grolving stock decreased, while the hardwood component increased. It io to be noted also that the saw-timber stands are deteriorating 

in quality, owing to the common practice of taking out the larger and more 

valuable trees, and leaving the smaller and poorer ones. For this reason, in 

Hardwoods 
j~dv~o~d stands the proportion of species at present considered valuable is 

Bclining, owing to the taking of the ash, forked-leaf white oak, and other 

ligh~ desired species and leaving post oak, scrub oak, ad other less deones. 

Table ih. - Balance between net increment and commodity drain, 1935 1936 and 1937 > 

---- Thousand board feet - - - - Thousand cubic feet 

(lumber tally) (insidz bark) 

/ Saw-timber material All growing stock 1 

(trees 5.0 in. 2.b.h. & larger) 

~rov:ing Stock, 

Jan. 1, 1935 37074,100 1,921,000 4,995,100 919,200 714,ec~ 19634,000 

Growth 241,900 108,800 350,700 62,720 40,770 101,490 

Mortalitji 27,500 13,700 41,200 9,160 5,910 15.150 

1qzt increment 214,400 95,100 309,500 53,560 3C,730 88,340 

Con~odity drain 171 ,400 74,800 246,200 38,880 17,700 56,640 

Item 

rd-t change in growing stock, 1935 +43,000 t20,300 +63,300 +lL, 680 t17,070 +31,700 

Pine 

Pine Hardwood 

Growing stock, 

Jan. I, 1936 3,1!7,100 1,941,300 5,058,400 931,890 73~,82C 1,665,700 

Total 

Grovith 213,500 109,600 353,100 65,000 41 $620 106,620 

;lortality 0 28 000 14 000 1 ,480 

Net lncrenent 21 5,500 95,600 311,100 55,670 35 ,470 91,140 

Comnodity drain 276,900 74,400 351,300 60,220 17,630 77,850 

Nzt change in growing stock, 1936 -61,400 t21,200 -40,200 -4,550 t~7:840 +13,290 

Growing stock, 

Jan. 1, 1937 3,055,700 1,962,500 5,018,200 923,330 749:660 1,678,990 

Growth 211 300 110,200 353,500 65,600 42,270 107,870 

74ort,ality 27,600 14,200 41,800 9,330 6>370 15,650 

Het increment 215,700 96,000 311,700 56,270 35,950 92,220 

Commodity drain 292,600 87,700 380,300 63,770 19,h30 83,400 

Net change in growing stock, 1937 -76,900 ~8,300 -68,600 -7,500 tiL3320 4,820 

Growing stock, 

Jan. 1, 1938 2,978,800 1,970,800 4,949,600 921,830 765,980 I, 687,8i0 
NGURE 8.-COMPARISON OF GROWTH AND DRAIN FOR THE ENTIRE GROWING STOCK 

FIGURE 9.-COMPARISON OF GROWTH AND DRAIN FOR THE SAW -TIMBER COMPONENT 

OF THE GROWING STOCK. 
As previously pointed out in this report, the stands of west central 

Alabama are so poorly stocked that the growth is only a fraction of the productive capacity of the sites. Growing stock can be increased by good forest 

management, but time is required before its effects are reflected in increased 

growth. Mortality drain, however, can be reduced promptly by fire protection, 

thinning, and other good forest practices; this would allow correspondingly 

greater amounts of material for use or for increasing the growing stock. 

The trend of commodity drain on the entire growing stock and on its 

saw-timber component, as evidenced in 1935, 1936, and 1937, is decidedly upwards in both pines and hardwoods. Unless the growing stock of saw timber is 

increased by good forest management, the latter may be reduced eventually to 

such a small part of the stand that it will be inadequate to furnish existing 

industries with the class of material they require. 

It should be noted, however, that in 1935, 1936, and 1937, neither the 

annual growth nor drain amounted to one-tenth of the growing stock, and that 

such fluctuations in growth and drain cause very little change in the growing 

stock. For the entire 3-year period ending Dec. 31, 1937, the saw-timber component of the growing stock decreased approximately 1 percent, and the entire 

growing stock increased slightly over 3 percent. 

Summary and Conclusions 

This Forest Survey unit in which the people depend for most of their 

livelihood upon products from field, forest, and mines, has never enjoyed a 

rich agricultural development like that of the Tennessee Valley in Alabama, 

nor has it experienced an industrial expansion such as the Birmingham or 

Mobile areas. The Census of 1935 indicates that only 18 percent of its 4; 

million acres is in "cropland harvested," as compared with 22 percent of the 

entire State; also, there are only 36 people per square mile, as compared 

with 52 for the State as a whole. 

The ability of cotton, the chief cash crop, to continue to support 

most of the people seems to be decreasing. From 1924 to 1934, according to 

the Census, the area in cotton declined about 22 percent, and the value of 

the crop shrank over 40 percent, or 45 million dollars. This shrinkage in 

cotton growing involved a loss of about 900,000 days of employment in the cotton fields; and the loss in gainful work for truck drivers, railroad men, and 

other shippers, for workers in the manufacturing plants, and for others dependent upon the cotton income, is also serious. Preliminary figures for 

1938 show a further drastic reduction in the value of the cotton crop. 

It is doubtful whether cotton ever can become the "kingt1 it once was 

in this area, for many of the sloping, eroded, upland fields cannot grow cotton again successfully. Opportunities for gainful employment have dwindled 

so drastically that the Special Census of Unemployment taken in October 1937 

revealed that there were in this unit 14,000 people either unemployed and 

waniing work, or on relief, and 9,000 employed part time and wanting more work 

These 23,000 either totally or partly idle workers make up almost one-tenth of 

the total population, or about one-fifth of the gainfully employed workers. 
In the urgent search for sources of elrs:Loynent in productive enterprises, the expansion of the forest an? wood-products indubtri-s must be considered. The f'ore;t of 2-3/4 nillion acres, whicli occupies an average of 6 

acres out, of every 10, contains 10 times as many acres as the cotton fie!g3, 

Within the next decade,.the forest area may expand still more, for the T!~T

found 197,800 acres of idle and abandoned cropland, much of which will revert 

to forests unless the price of cotton greatly increases. In addition, 4L,500 

acres noiv in cultivation, but being seriously eroded, may be thrown out of 

cultivation because of competition, loss in fertility, or as the result of 

crop-control programs; this area also may revert to forests. 

Loblolly, shortleaf, and longleaf pines, guns, and oaks are the principal species, and pine and pine-hardwood are the most prevalent forest typegroups. Approximatelf 90 percent of the forest area is classed as second 

growth; only 10 percent remains as old growth. Mainly due to the common occurrence of fire, most of the stands are poorly stocked, especially in large 

trees; the 2- and 4-inch diameter-cl~sses contain more trees than all others 

combined. Also, most of the stands are young-o-ver four-fifths of the pine 

and pine-hardwood area is in stands less than 61 years old. The productive 

capacit,y of the forest soils is good, as shown by the large proportion of 

areas with site indexes of 70 and over, but so poorly stocked are the stands 

that their volumes per acre are less than half of what good management, including sustained protection from fires, could produce. Uncontrolled forest 

fires prevent the development of well-stocked stands, and every year fires 

injure or destroy some of the large trees and kill the small ones that are 

needed to build up the growing stock. 

The inventory of saw-timber material in the growing stock shows about 

5 billion board feet, mostly in second-growth pines. Forty-seven percent of 

the pine saw-timber volume is in trees less than 13.0 in. d.b.h. and probably 

more than half is in limby or rough trees. Over four-fifths of the total sawtimber volume, pines and hardwoods together, is in stands that have at least 

2,000 board feet per acre. 

Considering all sound usable material in live trees 5.0 in. d.b.h. 

and over, including those of sawlog size, the net usable volume is 322 million 

cords; this includes 7 million cords in cull trees, of which 90 percent is in 

hardwoods. 

In 1937 the ~rowth amounted to 3511 million board feet, but mortality 

approximated 42 million, leaving a net increment of 312 million board feet 

before cutting. Most of the saw-timber increment was in the second-growth 

pine stands. For all growing-stock material in trees 5.0 in. d.b.h. and 

larger, the net increment was 1% million cords, bark included. 

Forest industries include about 356 sawmills, 5 veneer mills, 3 cooperage plants, 2 small-dimension plants, 1 pulp mill, and 1 treating plant. In 

1937 the commodity drain for industrial and domestic use from saw-timber material in sa)~log-size trees was 390 million board feet, or over 68 million more 

than the net increment. Records for the 3 years beginning Jan. 1, 1935 indicate that, whereas the net increment remained constant, the commodity drain 

increased annually. A11 of the over-cutting occurred in pine; and, although 

hardwood showed a vol~une increase, it suffered a loss in quality, owing to the 

removal of trees of the most valuable species. As long as the saw-timber 
drain is greater than its growth, the growing stock will continue to shrink 

"i volume; and, if the drain continues to increase in accordance with indi- 

, cated trends, this shrinkage shortly will become serious. If the forest is 4 to continue to meet the needs of expanding use, steps must be taken to in- T, crease the net increment building up the growing stock through fire pro- 

;, tection and other good-management practices. 

Suggestions for improvement 

Greater markets for timber stumpage are needed to establish prices 

that will encourage the landowners to protect and develop i,heir forest resources. Small woodland owners have especial difficulty in finding profitable wood outlets and usually must depend upon transient small sawmills, 

vihose lumber product, with the pressnt crude methods of manufacturing, usually brings such low prices that stumpage returns are meagre. Markets for 

lor-grade material, such as pulpwood and fuel wood, are needed in order that 

forest owners may salvage (a) the tree stems above the sawlogs and (5) the 

small trees that should be thinned out of dense stands. 

For many years it has been the practice in this unit to cut the pines 

and leave the hardwoods. Where pine seed trees are left and the site conditions are favorable for pine, the cut-over forest usually cones back with a 

good representation of pines. In many places, however, especially on the 

poorer pine sites, the pine has been cut so clean that the proportion of hardwoods increases, sometimes completely excluding the pines. One of the most 

difficult problems which nust be solved before the stands can be improved 

greatly is how to remove and utilize the hardwoods now considered undesirable. 

Approximately one-fifth of all the usable material (expressed in cords) in this 

unit is in cull hardwoods, some of which may be utilized profitably; encouragement should be given to the development of markets for them. Their utilization for small-dimension stock, pulp, paper, rayon, plastics, and other product~ should be studied; while cull trees should be used for fuel, fence posts, 

and similar products to a much larger extent than is now the practice. 

Many of the cull hardwoods have such large bushy tops (often with 

limbs almost down to the ground) that they prevent the development of pines 

and desirable hardwoods. Where no market for low-grade products is either existent or anticipated, the landowner may wish to consider girdling these 

"wolf" trees, so that better trees may develop. 

The forest resources should be made to contribute to the public welfare 

much more than they do now, when half the growing stock is missing. When 

the growing stock is built up-and this can be done by fire protection, thinning, improvement cutting, and selective logging-the annual growth of the 

forest can be increased enough to supply perpetually the raw materials for the 

present industries, as nrell as for many new and expanded ones. 

Since the general public is responsible for most of the fires that are 

carelessly or wilfully set, increased financial assistance and other means of 

help should be extended to the landowners. Further expansion of the fireprotection work under the Clarke-McNary Act, involving the cooperation of landowners and of State and Federal Governments, is recommended as a means of getting coordinated action. Possibly this work can be undertaken on a countywide basis. 
liiih good Eire protection, it is believed that natural r~i'orestatio~ 

will 'ae successful on two-thirds of the abandoned fields. It nay be expodient, hoviever, to reforest artificially by planting the remaining one-third. 

if a prom$ establishment of forest cover is desired. 

Whether or not good forest management is practiced in west central 

lliabana will depend largely upon how convinced are the 20,000 different lan2- 

owmers that it is to their direct udv,mtage to do so. These owners have widely varying financial limitations, and many of them have no idea of the extent 

of' their forest resources or of the possible financial returns from managing 

them. Therefore, a widespread acceptance of good forestry practices, such as 

fire protection, stand improvement, economical utilization and planting, will 

require tine and a wdl-organized education md extension program, which to 

be successful must reach not only all forest landowners, tenants, and wood 

consumers, but also the general public. consequent!^, public aid, both State 

and Federal, should be given to this extension '~ork, for the entire population 

will benefit from the highly developed forest resources and from the stable 

and expanded industries (with their greater payrolls for forest workers) that 

will result therefrom.