Florida Harvest 

and Utilization

Study, 2008

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest Service

Southern 

Research Station

Resource Bulletin

SRS–162

James W. Bentley and

Tony G. Johnson
The Authors:

James W. Bentley, Resource Forester, and Tony G. Johnson, 

Resource Analyst, U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research 

Station, Knoxville, TN 37919.

September 2009

Southern Research Station

200 W.T. Weaver Blvd.

Asheville, NC 28804
i

Foreword

This resource bulletin describes the principal findings of a 

harvest and utilization study conducted during the eighth 

inventory of Florida’s forest resources. Survey crews 

sampled and measured trees harvested in a variety of 

logging operations, and analysts calculated wood volume 

and percent of wood utilization. Harvest volume data and 

factors for growing-stock and nongrowing-stock logging 

residue are described and interpreted.

Annual surveys of America’s forest resources are mandated 

by the Forest and Rangeland Act of 1978. Surveys and 

utilization studies are part of a continuing, nationwide 

undertaking by regional experiment stations of the Forest 

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Inventories and 

utilization studies of the 13 Southern States (Alabama, 

Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, 

Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, 

Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia) and the Commonwealth 

of Puerto Rico are conducted by the Southern Research 

Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Research Work 

Unit. Unit headquarters is in Knoxville, TN, and FIA has 

operational offices in Asheville, NC, and Starkville, MS. 

The primary objective of these appraisals is to develop and 

maintain resource information needed to formulate sound 

forest policies and programs. More information about Forest 

Service resource inventories is available in “The Enhanced 

Forest Inventory and Analysis Program—National Sampling 

Design and Estimation Procedures” (Bechtold and Patterson 

2005).

Tabular data included in FIA resource bulletins present 

a comprehensive array of forest resource statistics, but 

additional information is available to those who require more 

specific information. Access to data for the Southern States 

can be found at: http://srsfia2.fs.fed.us/data/index.shtml.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Britt Evans and Jarek Nowak for their 

review and comments; Anne Jenkins, Janet Griffin, Carolyn 

Steppleton, and Sharon Johnson for the map, tables, graphs, 

and statistical checking; and the Southern Research Station 

(SRS) Technical Publications Team for editorial review, 

styling, and publication of this report. 

The SRS gratefully acknowledges the cooperation and 

assistance of the Florida Department of Agriculture and 

Consumer Services, Division of Forestry, in collecting 

harvest and utilization data. Appreciation is also extended to 

forest industry and loggers for allowing access to their land 

and logging operations.
iii

Contents

Page

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Site Stratification and Selection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Data Collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Highlights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Characteristics of Harvested Trees in Florida. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Characteristics of Logging in Florida. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Softwood Removals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Hardwood Removals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Florida’s Potential Biomass Availability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Literature Cited. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Appendix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Index of Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Tables A.1–A.17a

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

a All tables in this report are available in Microsoft® Excel workbook files. Upon request, these files will be supplied in the format the 

customer requests.

The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture of any product or service.
iv

Figure 1—Harvest operations, Florida, 2008.

Softwood saw log

Softwood pulpwood

Softwood composite panel

Hardwood pulpwood

Hardwood saw log

Softwood pole

Softwood post

Softwood veneer

Softwood fuelwood

Softwood mulch

Hardwood fuelwood

Types of operations Number

16

7

13

10

4

8

9

4

4

4

3

Northeast

Northwest

Central

South

Taylor

Madison Hamilton

Lafayette

Suwannee Columbia

Union

Gilchrist

Dixie

Baker

Bradford

Nassau

Duval

Clay St Johns

Alachua

Levy

Marion

Putnam

Flagler

Volusia

Washington

Santa

Rosa Okaloosa

Escambia

Walton

Holmes Jackson

Calhoun

Gulf

Gadsden

Liberty

Franklin

Bay

Wakulla

Leon

Jefferson

Citrus SumterLake

Orange

Seminole Brevard

Indian

River

Osceola

Polk Hillsborough

Pasco

Hernando

Pinellas

Manatee Hardee

De Soto Sarasota

Highlands

Okeechobee

St Lucie

Martin

Palm Beach

Charlotte Glades

Collier Broward

Lee Hendry

Monroe Dade

Lake

Okeechobee
Florida Harvest and Utilization 

Study, 2008

James W. Bentley and Tony G. Johnson

Introduction

Forest planners and managers have a continuing need for 

information about the timber resource, and the general 

public is expressing increasing interest in the effects of 

logging. Therefore, up-to-date data on the Nation’s forests—

and how the forests are changing—are essential to well 

informed decisionmaking. Information about the condition 

of and changes in the timber resource of Florida comes from 

three primary sources: (1) inventory plots, which describe 

current conditions and quantify changes due to mortality, 

growth, removals, and land use; (2) mill surveys, which 

quantify timber volume harvested and delivered to primary 

wood products facilities, i.e., sawmills, pulpmills, veneer 

mills, composite panel mills, and pole mills; and (3) logging 

utilization studies, which characterize harvest operations and 

quantify the timber volume that is cut and utilized, and that 

portion that is left in the forest. 

This bulletin presents the findings of a 2008 harvest and 

utilization study in Florida. The study’s main goal was to 

provide an estimate of softwood and hardwood volume used, 

and of volume left in the woods as logging residue. Survey 

crews randomly selected and measured felled trees on 82 

active harvest operations throughout Florida (fig. 1). This 

bulletin also provides information on logging in Florida and 

some general characteristics of trees harvested for various 

products, examples of which are average diameter at breast 

height (d.b.h.) by product, average bole length by product, 

average heights of residual stumps, and average diameter 

outside bark (d.o.b.) at the end of utilization.

Some standard Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) terms 

are used in this study. Two of particular importance for 

understanding and interpreting study results are growing 

stock and nongrowing stock. A growing-stock tree is a live 

tree of commercial species that either contains or is capable 

of producing at least one 12-foot or two 8-foot logs in the 

saw-log portion of the bole. A nongrowing-stock tree is one 

that does not meet the requirements of growing stock due 

to poor form or rot. For growing-stock trees, the growingstock portion of a tree (5-inches d.b.h. or larger) includes 

the volume of sound wood between a 1-foot stump and a 

4-inch top, d.o.b. Volume in the 1-foot stump, volume in the 

main stem from 4 inches to the growing top of the tree, and 

the volume of any limbs 4 inches or larger with at least one 

5-foot section are considered nongrowing-stock volume by 

FIA standards. Rough or rotten trees were also sampled and 

make up another piece of nongrowing-stock (cull) volume. 

Figure 2 illustrates a poletimber tree, a sawtimber tree, and 

the growing-stock section of each.

Methods

Site Stratification and Selection

Producing a complete list of timber-harvesting operations 

and ownerships in a State such as Florida is problematic. 

Because of the complexity of the timber industry, it is 

impossible to list the names and locations of all during 

the timeframe considered in this resource bulletin. Many 

uncontrollable factors affect how, when, and where 

harvesting operations take place, but the most common 

events that affect harvesting operations are weather and 

timber markets. A random sample provides a reasonably 

accurate estimate of utilization.

The sites selected for study were stratified by species 

group and product using the most recent data available for 

county-level output of timber products harvested in Florida 

by species group (Johnson and others 2008). Using those 

proportions, we designated 62 of the 82 selected sites as 

softwood operations and the remaining 20 as hardwood 

operations. We used the same guidelines to designate harvest 

operations by product but allowed more flexibility because 
2

1-foot stump

Growing-stock

volume (cubic feet)

Growing-stock

volume (cubic feet) 4.0 inches d.o.b.

Top

Top

4.0 inches d.o.b.

Softwood = 7.0 inches d.o.b.

Hardwood = 9.0 inches d.o.b.

Sawtimber

volume (cubic feet)

Poletimber tree 

Softwood = 5.0–8.9 inches d.b.h.

Hardwood = 5.0–10.9 inches d.b.h.

Sawtimber tree 

Softwood = at least 9.0 inches d.b.h.

Hardwood = at least 11.0 inches d.b.h.

Figure 2—Stem sections of poletimber and sa Figure 2—Stem sections of poletimber and sawtimber trees. wtimber trees.

of the difficulty in locating harvesting operations for some 

products. Table 1 shows the final breakdown number of 

harvest operations, total trees, trees planted, and percentage 

of trees planted by product and species group.

After the harvest operations were stratified by major species 

group and product, the operations were placed in the 

appropriate region and county in the State. Using countylevel product output data (Johnson and others 2008) and a 

map showing current mill locations, prospective utilization 

sites were selected based on a high probability of locating a 

harvesting operation for the particular product and species 

group assigned. Figure 1 shows where the final harvest 

operations considered in this bulletin were located.

Data Collection

During the eighth survey, field crews were trained to collect 

data on felled trees at harvest locations. Using the list of 

operations and a map of sites, they began collecting data 

by county for the particular species group and designated 

product(s). Data were collected from July 2008 to November 

2008 on active harvest operations. To locate active harvest 

sites, field crews visited local mills and consulted county 

personnel.

At each harvest operation site, field crews talked to the 

logger or person in charge of operations. These contacts 

provided vital information about product(s) utilized, 
3

Table 1—Number of operations, total trees, planted trees, and 

percent planted by product and species group, Florida, 2008

Product and

species group Operations

Trees

Total Planted

 - - - - - - - - number - - - - - - - - percent

Saw logs

Softwood 16 420 211 50

Hardwood 7 101 0 —

Total 23 521 211 40

Veneer logs

Softwood 8 169 58 34

Hardwood 0 0 0 —

Total 8 169 58 34

Composite panels

Softwood 4 91 91 100

Hardwood 0 0 0 —

Total 4 91 91 100

Pulpwood

Softwood 13 481 403 84

Hardwood 10 263 22 8

Total 23 744 425 57

Poles/pilings

Softwood 4 83 58 71

Hardwood 0 0 0 —

Total 4 83 58 71

Fence posts

Softwood 4 84 59 70

Hardwood 0 0 0 —

Total 4 84 59 70

Fuelwood

Softwood 4 96 78 81

Hardwood 3 72 72 100

Total 7 168 150 89

Mulch

Softwood 9 246 91 9

Hardwood 0 8 0 —

Total 9 254 91 9

All products

Softwood 62 1,670 1,049 63

Hardwood 20 444 94 21

Total 82 2,114 1,143 54

— = no sample for the cell.

specific diameters, and log lengths the receiving mill(s) 

would accept, along with minimum diameters at the cutoff 

points for specific products. Additional information about 

the logging crew was noted, such as type and amount of 

equipment they used as well as age of the equipment, 

number of loads hauled per day, certifications of the 

loggers, and distances they were willing to travel for 

work. This information was used to determine the level of 

mechanization for each harvesting operation.

The goal of the field crew, at each harvest operation site, 

was to measure 25 to 30 trees for each product. This number 

ensured an adequate representation of overutilization and 

underutilization for a given type of harvest operation. Trees 

were randomly selected and had to be at least 5 inches 

d.b.h. and alive prior to harvest. Although often bucked, 

limbed, and topped, the main bole of each tree selected 

for measurement had to be intact to be measured for 

utilization. The State, unit, county, and location number 

were recorded for each site. Each tree was assigned a 

number and identified by species, d.b.h., tree class, product, 

bole length, and percentage of cull (if rot was detected). 

Each tree was measured from the top of the cut stump to 

the end of utilization. Measurements were made along the 

main stem in sections no longer than 16 feet until the end 

of utilization. The end of utilization usually is determined 

by the sawyer, according to particular specifications set 

by the receiving mill(s). FIA merchantability standards 

for growing-stock volume are defined as the volume in the 

main stem of the tree from a 1-foot stump to a 4-inch top. 

However, most trees are not cut exactly at a 1-foot stump, 

nor are they cut off at exactly 4 inches. For example, trees 

cut off above a 1-foot stump and below 4 inches would be 

considered underutilized, and that volume not utilized would 

be considered growing-stock residue. On the other hand, 

by FIA standards, trees cut below a 1-foot stump and above 

a 4-inch top are considered 100 percent utilized, and those 

portions below and above are considered overutilization. 

A myriad of combinations actually occur on active harvest 

operations. The aggregated volume from measured trees 

has provided overutilization and underutilization factors 

that can be applied to statewide inventory results for an 

estimate of growing-stock and nongrowing-stock logging 

residues. Other required measurements, besides d.b.h. and 

end of utilization, are the top of the sawtimber portion 

(7.0 inches in softwoods and 9.0 inches in hardwoods). 

Those measurements allow calculation of the sawtimber and 

poletimber portion of the growing-stock section.
4

Table 2—Average diameter at breast height by species group, stand origin, and product, Florida, 2008

Species group 

and stand origin

Product

Saw 

logs

Veneer

logs

Composite

panels

PulpwoodPoles/

pilings

Fence 

posts

Fuelwood Mulch

 inches

Softwood

Natural 11.92 14.02 — 8.78 14.39 8.04 6.27 11.66

Planted 10.01 11.69 6.66 6.71 10.68 7.38 4.31 6.81

Total 10.96 13.22 6.66 7.05 11.76 7.58 4.67 9.87

Hardwood

Natural 18.56 — — 8.44 — — — 7.39

Planted — — — 8.20 — — 8.43 —

Total 18.56 — — 8.42 — — 8.43 7.39

— = no sample for the cell.

Highlights

Characteristics of Harvested Trees in Florida

Results of this study identify several key characteristics 

of trees harvested. Such findings cannot be obtained 

from a typical field inventory or a forest industry study 

that supplies product output data only. Characteristics 

such as average d.b.h. by product, average bole length 

by product, average residual stump height, and average 

d.o.b. at the end of utilization is vital information for a full 

understanding of the complex nature of removals. Averages 

discussed in this section are based on the measurement of 

2,114 trees, of which 1,670 (79 percent) were softwood and 

444 (21 percent) hardwood.

According to Johnson and others (2008), softwood and 

hardwood saw-log volume together accounted for 37 percent 

of the total product output for the State. The study classified 

420 trees as having softwood saw logs averaging 10.9 inches 

d.b.h. Fifty percent, or 211 trees, were classified as planted 

softwood saw logs averaging 10.0 inches d.b.h., nearly 

2 inches smaller than natural softwood saw logs averaging 

11.9 inches d.b.h. It classified 101 hardwood trees as 

having saw logs averaging 18.6 inches d.b.h. Veneer and 

plywood constitute another component of the product mix 

for Florida. Based on 169 trees measured for softwood 

veneer, the average d.b.h. was 13.2 inches. Advances in 

lathe technology at softwood plywood mills are resulting in 

a drop of the average d.b.h. of peeler logs across the South. 

As expected, the d.b.h. of trees measured for pulpwood 

and composite panels was significantly smaller. Of the 

481 softwood pulpwood trees measured, the average d.b.h. 

was 7.1 inches, while the 263 trees measured for hardwood 

pulpwood averaged 8.4 inches d.b.h. Eighty-four percent, 

or 403 trees, of the softwood pulpwood trees were planted, 

averaging 6.7 inches d.b.h., slightly over 2 inches less than 

trees that come from natural stands. Ninety-one trees, all 

coming from planted stands, were measured for softwood 

composite panels averaging 6.7 inches d.b.h. Another 

component of the product mix is softwood mulch averaging 

9.9 inches d.b.h. Table 2 shows the breakdown of average 

d.b.h. for each product by species group and stand origin.

Bole length is the distance between a 1-foot stump and a 

4-inch top. As expected, trees harvested for solid wood 

products tended to have longer average bole lengths than 

trees harvested for pulpwood or composite panel products. 

The average bole length for softwood trees measured for 

saw logs was 56 feet, while trees measured for hardwood 

saw logs had an average bole length of 70 feet. In comparison, trees measured for pulpwood had average bole 

lengths of 34 feet for softwoods and 35 feet for hardwoods. 

Softwood veneer trees had an average bole length of 65 feet. 

Planted sites constituted a subset of all trees measured. 

Trees measured in planted stands tended to have shorter bole 

lengths than those measured in the natural stands. Table 3 

shows the average bole length by species group, stand 

origin, and product.

Residual stump height is a key component in determining 

utilization rates for harvested trees. By FIA standards, the 

stump is that portion of the tree measured at ground level 

from the uphill side of the tree to 1 foot up the bole. Loggers 

try to maximize volume harvested by cutting the tree as 

close to the ground as possible. Residual stump heights 
5

Table 3—Average bole length by species group, stand origin, and product, Florida, 2008

Species group

and stand origin

Product

Saw 

logs

Veneer

logs

Composite

panels Pulpwood

Poles/

pilings

Fence 

posts

Fuelwood Mulch

feet

Softwood

Natural 57.73 69.21 — 43.63 83.75 34.52 27.33 44.36

Planted 53.69 58.28 29.90 31.55 59.83 33.85 22.03 26.48

Total 55.70 65.46 29.90 33.51 66.83 34.05 23.02 37.75

Hardwood

Natural 70.25 — — 34.86 — — — 29.13

Planted — — — 33.91 — — 35.15 —

Total 70.25 — — 34.78 — — 35.15 29.13

— = no sample for the cell.

across the products ranged from 0.26 to 0.58 feet; however, 

most softwood trees harvested had an average residual 

stump height of about a 0.40 foot, while harvested hardwood 

trees averaged slightly higher residual stumps. In softwoods 

and across all products, this accounted for about 36 percent 

of the stump volume being utilized. In hardwoods and across 

all products, about 33 percent of stump volume was used. 

Stump volume for both hardwood and softwood contributed 

to utilization of the nongrowing-stock portion of trees, i.e., 

overutilization. Residual stump heights for trees coming 

from natural stands appear slightly higher than residual 

stump heights in planted stands. Table 4 shows the average 

residual stump heights for each product by species group.

The final component we used to determine use rates was 

d.o.b. at the end of utilization. Tops and limbs constitute 

most of the nongrowing-stock volume; they accounted 

for 52 percent of the nongrowing-stock portion that was 

utilized. The average end of utilization for softwood 

saw logs was 3.2 inches, and for hardwood saw logs 

5.8 inches. The average end of utilization for softwood and 

hardwood pulpwood was 2.6 and 3.5 inches, respectively. 

Trees coming from natural and planted stands showed 

no difference in the end of utilization. Table 5 shows the 

average end of utilization by species group, stand origin, and 

product.

Table 4—Average residual stump height by species group, stand origin, and product, Florida, 2008

Species group 

and stand origin

Product

Saw 

logs

Veneer

logs

Composite

panels

PulpwoodPoles/

pilings

Fence 

posts

Fuelwood Mulch

feet

Softwood

Natural 0.56 0.38 — 0.51 0.58 0.50 0.45 0.45

Planted 0.41 0.46 0.26 0.33 0.38 0.30 0.36 0.53

Total 0.48 0.40 0.26 0.36 0.44 0.36 0.38 0.43

Hardwood

Natural 0.58 — — 0.58 — — — 0.43

Planted — — — 0.31 — — 0.34 —

Total 0.58 — — 0.56 — — 0.34 0.43

— = no sample for the cell.
6

Table 5—Average end of utilization by species group, stand origin, and product, Florida, 2008

Species group 

and stand origin

Product

Saw 

logs

Veneer

logs

Composite

panels

PulpwoodPoles/

pilings

Fence 

posts

Fuelwood Mulch

inches

Softwood

Natural 3.31 3.46 — 2.73 4.65 2.20 2.11 3.18

Planted 3.03 3.28 2.17 2.58 2.93 2.51 1.87 2.05

Total 3.17 3.40 2.17 2.60 3.44 2.42 1.97 2.76

Hardwood

Natural 5.76 — — 3.53 — — — 3.48

Planted — — — 3.06 — — — —

Total 5.76 — — 3.49 — — — 3.48

— = no sample for the cell.

Characteristics of Logging in Florida

When field crews visited the 82 individual logging operations, they asked the logger some additional questions. The 

purpose for these questions was two-fold: to predict the level 

of mechanization and to better understand a typical logging 

operation. 

The information gathered provided data on the equipment 

loggers used and how they used it. Across the 82 operations, 

the average age of logging equipment in use was 5.6 years 

old, ranging from 1.5 to 20 years. Typically, at each 

logging operation, one rubber-tired feller-buncher with 

a sawhead was used for cutting down the trees. Skidding 

was accomplished with an average of a little more than one 

rubber-tired grapple skidder. Most of the delimbing was 

done on the landing with a pull-through delimber or near the 

landing with a push-through, gate style delimber. The trees 

were typically loaded with a knuckleboom loader averaging 

one loader per operation. 

Field crews also noted hauling practices and productivity. 

The self-reported productivity ranged from 1 to 31 loads 

per day, averaging 9.7 loads per day across the State. An 

adequate number of double-bunk or pole trailers were most 

commonly used for hauling. Accounting for some sites 

being right beside a public road to others being miles away, 

the average distance from a public road to the logging site 

was 1.5 miles.

Field crews further noted preferences and characteristics of 

the loggers themselves. Most of the loggers were willing 

to travel as far as a neighboring county to work, but 21 

of the 82 were willing to travel an average of 71 miles to 

work. Some Florida loggers procure wood for themselves, 

but most prefer working as contractors for forest industry 

or private timber buyers. All of the loggers in Florida 

were required to be certified, and most were members of a 

professional logger program.

Softwood Removals

Results from this study document 27,941 cubic feet of 

softwood volume, of which 23,716 cubic feet, or 85 percent, 

was used for product(s). Fifteen percent, or 4,225 cubic 

feet, was left onsite as logging residue (fig. 3). Thirty-three 

percent of the residue volume came from the growingstock portion of the tree, while 67 percent came from the 

nongrowing-stock portion (stumps, tops, and limbs) (fig. 4) 

(table A.1).

The total softwood growing-stock volume measured 

was 24,011 cubic feet, of which 94 percent was utilized 

and 6 percent was logging residue (fig. 5). By FIA 

merchantability standards, the logging residue portion 

of growing-stock trees is underutilized volume. Of the 

total utilized volume, 1,118 cubic feet, or 4.7 percent, 

was from the nongrowing-stock portion of trees. By the 

same merchantability standards, that volume is considered 

overutilization (tables A.2 and A.3).

Softwood volumes and percentages are broken down further 

by poletimber and sawtimber, and by the various products 

measured (tables A.2 through A.9). By product, trees 

harvested for pulpwood and composite panels had aboveaverage rates of utilization for the merchantable portion of 

the tree (97 percent) and the highest rates of overutilization 

(10.9 and 16.8 percent, respectively), meaning that more 

of the nongrowing-stock portion of the tree was used for 

product(s) and less was left as logging residue.
7

Figure 3—Disposition of total softwood harvest volume, 

Florida, 2008.

Total 27.9 thousand cubic feet

Not utilized

(residue)

15%

Utilized

85%

Figure 4—Softwood residue by volume type, Florida, 2008.

1.4 thousand cubic feet

Growing stock

Upper

stems

31%

Saw

logs

69%

2.8 thousand cubic feet

Nongrowing stock

Stumps

34%

Tops/

limbs

66%

Growing

stock

33%

Total 4.2 thousand cubic feet

Nongrowing

stock

67%

Figure 5—Disposition of softwood growing-stock volume, 

Florida, 2008.

Total 24.0 thousand cubic feet

Not utilized

(residue)

6%

Utilized

94%

Softwood percentages and volumes presented in these tables 

represent only trees measured in this study of 82 active 

harvest operations. However, it is possible to apply the 

percentages to inventory data from Florida’s eighth survey1

to get an estimate of total softwood logging residues for 

the State. Annual softwood removal from all-live trees was 

465.0 million cubic feet. Softwood growing-stock removals 

were 461.3 million cubic feet, or 99.2 percent of the total. 

Applying the factors from this study to total softwood 

removals for all-live trees tallied in the State survey provides 

an estimate of 90.7 million cubic feet total annual softwood 

residue. Of the total residue for all-live trees, 29.5 million 

cubic feet, or 33 percent, was considered growing-stock 

residue. The remaining 67 percent, or 61.2 million cubic 

feet, was nongrowing-stock residue from stumps, tops, and 

limbs, and cull trees not used.

1 Brown, Mark J., Forester. Florida’s Forests, 2007. Manuscript in 

preparation. Author can be reached at U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis, 

4700 Old Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919.
8

Hardwood Removals

Results from this study document 12,214 cubic feet of 

hardwood volume, of which 9,026 cubic feet, or 74 percent, 

was utilized for product(s). Twenty-six percent, or 

3,188 cubic feet, was left onsite as logging residue (fig. 6). 

Forty-eight percent of residue volume came from the 

growing-stock portion of trees, and 52 percent came from 

the nongrowing-stock portion (stumps, tops, and limbs) 

(fig. 7) (table A.1).

The total hardwood growing-stock volume measured 

was 10,166 cubic feet, of which 85 percent was used 

and 15 percent was logging residue (fig. 8). By FIA 

merchantability standards, the logging residue portion 

is underutilized volume. Of the total utilized volume, 

403 cubic feet, or 4.47 percent, was from the nongrowingstock portion of trees. By the same merchantability 

standards, that volume is considered overutilization 

(tables A.10 and A.11). 

Hardwood volumes and percentages also were measured 

for poletimber and sawtimber, and differentiated by the 

various products they provided (tables A.10 through A.17). 

At 90 percent, however, those trees measured for pulpwood 

were more fully utilized, and more of the nongrowingstock portion was used for pulpwood. Trees measured for 

hardwood saw logs were the least utilized of all, although 

they have the most nongrowing-stock material.

Hardwood percentages and volumes presented in the tables 

represent only trees measured in this study of 82 active 

harvest operations. However, it is possible to apply the 

percentages to inventory data from Florida’s eighth survey 

(see footnote 1 on page 7) to provide an estimate of total 

hardwood logging residue for the State. Annual hardwood 

removals from all-live trees totaled 123.2 million cubic feet. 

Hardwood growing-stock removals totaled 92.9 million 

cubic feet, or 75 percent of that total. Applying factors 

from this study to total hardwood removals from all-live 

trees tallied in the State survey provided an estimate of 

38.6 million cubic feet total annual hardwood residue. 

Of that total, 17.9 million cubic feet, or 46 percent, 

was considered growing-stock residue. The remaining 

54 percent, or 20.8 million cubic feet, was nongrowingstock residue from stumps, tops and limbs, and rough or 

rotten trees that were not used.

Figure 6—Disposition of total hardwood harvest volume, 

Florida, 2008.

Total 12.2 thousand cubic feet

Not utilized

(residue)

26%

Utilized

74%

Florida’s Potential Biomass Availability

Logging residue has long been viewed as a possible 

source for bioenergy and other timber products, although 

traditionally it has not had any merchantable value. 

Retrieval of logging residue is a matter of economics, 

based on markets and demand. If markets are available and 

a willingness to pay a reasonable price exists, then more 

total tree volume is utilized for products. With this in mind, 

logging residue volume in Florida for 2002–2007, or the 

eighth survey, amounted to 129.3 million cubic feet, or 

4.6 million green tons. Softwoods accounted for 70 percent, 

or 90.7 million cubic feet (3.2 million tons), of the logging 

residues, while 38.6 million cubic feet (1.5 million tons) 

came from hardwood species. Logging residue from the 

merchantable portion of all-live tree removals totaled 

55.9 million cubic feet (2.0 million tons), or 43 percent 

of the total logging residue. Other sources accounted for 

73.4 million cubic feet (2.6 million tons), or 57 percent 

of the total logging residue. Trees < 5 inches contributed 

another 3.1 million tons of possible logging residue. Tables 

6 and 7 express the volume of timber removals by removals 

class, species group, and source in million cubic feet and 

green tons.
9

Figure 7—Hardwood residue by volume type, Florida, 2008.

Total 3.2 thousand cubic feet

Nongrowing

stock

52%

Growing

stock

48%

1.5 thousand cubic feet

Growing stock

Saw

logs

48%

Upper

stems

52%

1.7 thousand cubic feet

Nongrowing stock

Stumps

23%

Tops/

limbs

77%

Figure 8—Disposition of hardwood growing-stock volume, 

Florida, 2008.

Total 10.2 thousand cubic feet

Not utilized

(residue)

15%

Utilized

85%

Over the same period, the area of timber harvested 

annually in Florida amounted to 330,900 acres, of which 

190,600 acres (58 percent) underwent a final harvest, 

while 69,100 acres (21 percent) had a partial harvest and 

61,900 acres (19 percent) had commercial thinning. The 

removals volume attributed to timber products and logging 

residues are directly related to these treated acres. Based 

on these estimates, we can say that 68.9 tons per acre in 

the merchantable and nonmerchantable portion of trees 

> 5 inches d.b.h were removed annually from Florida’s 

timberland. Of the nearly 69 tons removed, 55.0 tons per 

acre were utilized for products, while 12.6 tons per acre 

were left as logging residue, excluding the residual stump. 

Assuming a 20-percent recovery rate for trees < 5 inches 

d.b.h., an additional 1.9 tons per acre was added, bringing 

the total logging residue to 14.7 tons per acre. This volume 

of logging residue is equivalent to a little more than one-half 

of a tree-length trailer load of wood for every acre treated in 

Florida.

Most loggers are very well equipped to handle the main 

bole or merchantable portion of the tree and even long, 

straight sections of forks or major limbs. However, a more 
10

Table 6—Volume of timber removals by removals class, 

species group, and source, Florida, 2008

Removals class

and species group

All

sources

Source

All-live

removals

Other

sources

million cubic feet

Roundwood products

Softwood 459.9 410.0 49.9 

Hardwood 58.8 52.1 6.7 

Total 518.7 462.1 56.6 

Logging residues

Softwood 90.7 30.1 60.6 

Hardwood 38.6 25.8 12.8 

Total 129.3 55.9 73.4 

Other removals

Softwood 31.2 24.9 6.3 

Hardwood 56.5 45.2 11.3 

Total 87.7 70.1 17.5 

Total removals

Softwood 581.7 465.0 116.8 

Hardwood 153.9 123.2 30.8 

Total 735.6 588.1 147.5 

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to 

rounding.

Table 7—Volume of timber removals by removals class, species 

group, and source, Florida, 2008

Removals class

and species group

All

sources

Source

All-live

removals

Other

sources

green tons

Roundwood products

Softwood 16,000,015 14,264,473 1,735,542

Hardwood 2,209,330 1,958,925 250,405

Total 18,209,345 16,223,398 1,985,947

Logging residues

Softwood 3,155,455 1,045,765 2,109,690

Hardwood 1,450,147 969,358 480,789

Total 4,605,602 2,015,123 2,590,479

Other removals

Softwood 1,084,070 866,449 217,621

Hardwood 2,122,067 1,698,038 424,029

Total 3,206,137 2,564,487 641,650

Total removals

Softwood 20,239,540 16,176,687 4,062,853

Hardwood 5,781,544 4,626,321 1,155,223

Total 26,021,084 20,803,008 5,218,076

effective way to handle rough trees with crooked boles, tops, 

and limbs is to chip this material at the site and transport 

the material in chip vans. Whole trees and portions of 

trees chipped onsite have a very limited use for industrial 

timber products. About the only use for this material is 

as mulch or boiler fuel. Bioenergy and mulch markets are 

particularly cost-efficient means of dealing with small trees 

< 5 inches d.b.h, as well as with rough and rotten trees 

and the nonmerchantable portions of growing-stock trees. 

Current literature suggests that, with conventional logging 

equipment, a 60-percent recovery rate is a realistic goal for 

possible extraction of formerly unutilized material (Perlack 

and others 2005). At this recovery rate, an additional 

8.6 tons per acre of material once classified as logging 

residue could be added to the volume going for timber 

products.

Literature Cited

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

and analysis program—national sampling design and estimation 

procedures. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS–80. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department 

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

Johnson, T.G.; Bentley, J.W.; Howell, M. 2008. Florida’s timber industry—

an assessment of timber product output and use, 2005. Resour. Bull. 

SRS–133. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest 

Service, Southern Research Station. 31 p.

Perlack, R.D.; Wright, L.L.; Turhollow, A. [and others]. 2005. Biomass 

as feedstock for a bioenergy and bioproducts industry: the technical 

feasibility of a billion-ton annual supply. ORNL/TM-2005/66. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture Forest Service. 73 p.
11

Glossary

Board foot. Unit of measure applied to roundwood. It 

relates to lumber that is 1-foot long, 1-foot wide, and 1-inch 

thick (or its equivalent).

Composite products. Roundwood products manufactured 

into chips, wafers, strands, flakes, shavings, or sawdust and 

then reconstituted into a variety of panel and engineered 

lumber products.

Drain. The volume of roundwood removed from any 

geographic area where timber is grown.

Growing-stock removals. The growing-stock volume 

removed from poletimber and sawtimber trees in the 

timberland inventory. (Note: Includes volume removed for 

roundwood products, logging residues, and other removals.)

Growing-stock trees. Living trees of commercial species 

classified as sawtimber, poletimber, saplings, and seedlings. 

Growing-stock trees must contain at least one 12-foot or two 

8-foot logs in the saw-log portion, currently or potentially (if 

too small to qualify). The log(s) must meet dimension and 

merchantability standards and have, currently or potentially, 

one-third of the gross board-foot volume in sound wood.

Growing-stock volume. The cubic-foot volume of sound 

wood in growing-stock trees at least 5.0 inches d.b.h. from a 

1-foot stump to a minimum 4.0-inch top d.o.b. of the central 

stem.

Hardwoods. Dicotyledonous trees, usually broadleaf and 

deciduous.

Soft hardwoods. Hardwood species with an average 

specific gravity of 0.50 or less, such as gums, yellowpoplar, cottonwoods, red maple, basswoods, and 

willows. 

Hard hardwoods. Hardwood species with an average 

specific gravity > 0.50, such as oaks, hard maples, 

hickories, and beech.

Industrial roundwood products. Any primary use of the 

main stem of a tree, such as saw logs, pulpwood, and veneer 

logs, intended to be processed into primary wood products, 

such as lumber, wood pulp, and sheathing, at primary woodusing mills.

International 1⁄4-inch rule. A log rule or formula for 

estimating the board-foot volume of logs, allowing 1⁄2-inch 

of taper for each 4-foot length. The rule appears in a number 

of forms that allow for kerf. In the form used by FIA, a 

1⁄4-inch of kerf is assumed. This rule is used as the USDA 

Forest Service standard log rule in the Eastern United States.

Log. A primary forest product harvested in long, primarily 

8-, 12-, and 16-foot lengths.

Logging residues. The unused merchantable portion of 

growing-stock trees cut or destroyed during logging 

operations.

Merchantable portion. That portion of live trees 5.0 inches 

d.b.h. and larger between a 1-foot stump and a minimum 

4.0-inch top d.o.b. on the central stem. That portion of 

primary forks from the point of occurrence to a minimum 

4.0-inch top d.o.b. is included.

Merchantable volume. Solid-wood volume in the mer -

chantable portion of live trees. 

Noncommercial species. Tree species of typically small 

size, poor form, or inferior quality that normally do not 

develop into trees suitable for industrial wood products.

Nonforest land. Land that has never supported forests and 

land formerly forested where timber production is precluded 

by development for other uses.

Nongrowing-stock sources. The net volume removed from 

the nongrowing-stock portions of poletimber and sawtimber 

trees (stumps, tops, limbs, cull sections of central stem) 

and from any portion of a rough, rotten, sapling, dead, or 

nonforest tree. 

Other forest land. Forest land other than timberland and 

productive reserved forest land. It includes available and 

reserved forest land that is incapable of producing annually 

20 cubic feet per acre of industrial wood under natural 

conditions because of adverse site conditions such as sterile 

soils, dry climate, poor drainage, high elevation, steepness, 

or rockiness.

Other products. A miscellaneous category of roundwood 

products, e.g., cooperage, excelsior, shingles, and mill 

residue byproducts (charcoal, bedding, mulch, etc.).

Other removals. The growing-stock volume of trees 

removed from the inventory by cultural operations such as 

timber stand improvement, land clearing, and other changes 

in land use, resulting in the removal of the trees from 

timberland.
12

Other sources. (See: Nongrowing-stock sources.)

Poletimber-size trees. Softwoods 5.0 to 8.9 inches d.b.h. 

and hardwoods 5.0 to 10.9 inches d.b.h. 

Posts, poles, and pilings. Roundwood products milled (cut 

or peeled) into standard sizes (lengths and circumferences) 

to be put in the ground to provide vertical and lateral support 

in buildings, foundations, utility lines, and fences. May also 

include nonindustrial (unmilled) products.

Primary wood-using plants. Industries that convert roundwood products (saw logs, veneer logs, pulpwood, etc.) into 

primary wood products, such as lumber, veneer or sheathing, 

and wood pulp.

Pulpwood. A roundwood product that will be reduced to 

individual wood fibers by chemical or mechanical means. 

The fibers are used to make a broad generic group of pulp 

products that includes paper products, as well as chipboard, 

fiberboard, insulating board, and paperboard.

Rotten trees. Live trees of commercial species not containing at least one 12-foot saw log, or two noncontiguous saw 

logs, each 8 feet or longer, now or prospectively, primarily 

because of rot or missing sections, and with less than 

one-third of the gross board-foot tree volume in sound 

material.

Rough trees. Live trees of commercial species not containing at least one 12-foot saw log, or two noncontiguous saw 

logs, each 8 feet or longer, now or prospectively, primarily 

because of roughness, poor form, splits, and cracks, and 

with less than one-third of the gross board-foot tree volume 

in sound material; and live trees of noncommercial species.

Roundwood (roundwood logs). Logs, bolts, or other 

round sections cut from trees for industrial manufacture or 

consumer uses.

Roundwood chipped. Any timber cut primarily for industrial manufacture, delivered to nonpulpmills, chipped, and 

then sold to pulpmills for use as fiber. Includes tops, jump 

sections, whole trees, and pulpwood sticks. 

Roundwood product drain. That portion of total drain used 

for a product.

Roundwood products. Any primary product, such as 

lumber, poles, pilings, pulp, or fuelwood that is produced 

from roundwood.

Salvable dead trees. Standing or downed dead trees that 

were formerly growing stock and considered merchantable. 

Trees must be at least 5.0 inches d.b.h. to qualify.

Saplings. Live trees 1.0 to 5.0 inches d.b.h.

Saw log. A roundwood product, usually 8 feet in length or 

longer, processed into a variety of sawn products such as 

lumber, cants, pallets, railroad ties, and timbers.

Saw-log portion. The part of the bole of sawtimber trees 

between a 1-foot stump and the saw-log top. 

Saw-log top. The point on the bole of sawtimber trees above 

which a conventional saw log cannot be produced. The 

minimum saw-log top is 7.0 inches d.o.b. for softwoods and 

9.0 inches d.o.b. for hardwoods.

Sawtimber-size trees. Softwoods 9.0 inches d.b.h. and 

larger and hardwoods 11.0 inches d.b.h. and larger.

Sawtimber volume. Growing-stock volume in the saw-log 

portion of sawtimber-sized trees in board feet (International 

1⁄4-inch rule).

Seedlings. Trees <1.0 inch d.b.h. and >1 foot tall for 

hardwoods, > 6 inches tall for softwood, and > 0.5 inch in 

diameter at ground level for longleaf pine.

Softwoods. Coniferous trees, usually evergreen, having 

leaves that are needles or scalelike.

Standard cord. A unit of measure applied to roundwood, 

usually bolts or split wood. It is a stack of wood 4 feet 

high, 4 feet wide, and 8 feet long encompassing 128 cubic 

feet of wood, bark, and air space. This usually translates 

to approximately 75.0 to 81.0 cubic feet of solid wood for 

pulpwood, because pulpwood is more uniform.

Standard unit. A unit measure applied to roundwood 

timber products. Board feet (International 1⁄4-inch rule) is 

the standard unit used for saw logs and veneer; cords are 

used for pulpwood, composite panel, and fuelwood; hundred 

pieces for poles; thousand pieces for posts; and thousand 

cubic feet for all other miscellaneous forest products.

Timberland. Forest land capable of producing 20 cubic feet 

of industrial wood per acre per year and not withdrawn from 

timber utilization.
13

Timber product output. The total volume of roundwood 

products from all sources plus the volume of byproducts 

recovered from mill residues (equals roundwood product 

drain).

Timber products. Roundwood products and byproducts.

Timber removals. The total volume of trees removed from 

the timberland inventory by harvesting, cultural operations 

such as stand improvement, land clearing, or changes in land 

use. (Note: Includes roundwood products, logging residues, 

and other removals.)

Tree. Woody plant having one erect perennial stem or 

trunk at least 3 inches d.b.h., a more or less definitely 

formed crown of foliage, and a height of at least 13 feet 

(at maturity).

Upper-stem portion. The part of the main stem of 

sawtimber trees above the saw-log top and the minimum top 

diameter of 4.0 inches outside bark, or to the point where 

the main stem breaks into limbs. 

Utilization studies. Studies conducted on active logging 

operations to develop factors for merchantable portions of 

trees left in the woods (logging residues), logging damage, 

and utilization of the unmerchantable portion of growingstock trees and nongrowing-stock trees.

Veneer log. A roundwood product either rotary cut, sliced, 

stamped, or sawn into a variety of veneer products such as 

plywood, finished panels, veneer sheets, or sheathing.

Weight. A unit of measure for mill residues, expressed as 

oven-dry tons (2,000 oven-dry pounds).
Appendix
17

Index of Tables

Table A.1—Harvest and utilization volume by species 

group, source, and volume type, Florida, 2008

Table A.2—Volume of softwood growing stock by product 

and utilization for sawtimber and poletimber, Florida, 2008

Table A.3—Percent of overutilization and underutilization 

for softwood growing stock by product for sawtimber and 

poletimber, Florida, 2008

Table A.4—Volume of softwood growing stock by product 

and utilization for sawtimber, Florida, 2008

Table A.5—Percent of overutilization and underutilization 

for softwood growing stock by product for sawtimber, 

Florida, 2008 

Table A.6—Volume of softwood growing stock by product 

and utilization for poletimber, Florida, 2008

Table A.7—Percent of overutilization and underutilization 

for softwood growing stock by product for poletimber, 

Florida, 2008

Table A.8—Volume of softwood cull by product and 

utilization, Florida, 2008

Table A.9—Percent of overutilization and underutilization 

for softwood cull by product, Florida, 2008

Table A.10—Volume of hardwood growing stock by product 

and utilization for sawtimber and poletimber, Florida, 2008

Table A.11—Percent of overutilization and underutilization 

for hardwood growing stock by product for sawtimber and 

poletimber, Florida, 2008

Table A.12—Volume of hardwood growing stock by product 

and utilization for sawtimber, Florida, 2008

Table A.13—Percent of overutilization and underutilization 

for hardwood growing stock by product for sawtimber, 

Florida, 2008

Table A.14—Volume of hardwood growing stock by product 

and utilization for poletimber, Florida, 2008

Table A.15—Percent of overutilization and underutilization 

for hardwood growing stock by product for poletimber, 

Florida, 2008

Table A.16—Volume of hardwood cull by product and 

utilization, Florida, 2008

Table A.17—Percent of overutilization and underutilization 

for hardwood cull by product, Florida, 2008
19

Table A.1—Harvest and utilization volume by species group, source, and volume type, Florida, 2008

Species group

and source

Total tree

volume

Growing stock Nongrowing stock

Total

Saw log Upper stem

Total

Stumps Tops/limbs

Utilized

Not

utilized Utilized

Not

utilized Utilized

Not

utilized Utilized

Not

utilized

cubic feet

Softwood

Sawtimber 22,510.69 19,614.62 16,778.02 972.66 1,489.17 374.77 2,896.07 364.01 802.42 139.41 1,590.23

Poletimber 5,430.08 4,396.52 — — 4,330.85 65.67 1,033.56 179.75 148.38 434.99 270.44

Total 27,940.77 24,011.14 16,778.02 972.66 5,820.02 440.44 3,929.63 543.76 950.80 574.40 1,860.67

Hardwood

Sawtimber 10,104.91 8,503.80 6,519.31 747.06 551.09 686.34 1,601.11 130.51 306.34 76.37 1,087.89

Poletimber 2,109.55 1,662.45 — — 1,552.57 109.88 447.10 61.88 77.52 134.47 173.23

Total 12,214.46 10,166.25 6,519.31 747.06 2,103.66 796.22 2,048.21 192.39 383.86 210.84 1,261.12

— = no sample for the cell.

Table A.2—Volume of softwood growing stock by product and utilization for sawtimber and poletimber, Florida, 2008

Product

Total

volume

utilized

Growing stock

Nongrowing

stock

utilized

Saw-log portion

Total Utilized

Not

utilized Total Utilized

Cull

utilized

Not

utilized

cubic feet

Saw logs 8,239.73 8,619.52 7,967.30 652.22 272.43 6,939.64 6,436.21 354.36 149.07

Veneer logs 5,813.53 5,931.09 5,664.82 266.27 148.71 5,502.79 5,345.52 153.57 3.69

Composite panels 458.77 394.72 381.80 12.92 76.97 17.58 14.71 2.87 —

Pulpwood 3,013.80 2,764.11 2,684.06 80.05 329.74 624.28 587.14 37.14 —

Poles/pilings 2,158.33 2,230.95 2,099.79 131.16 58.54 1,996.57 1,901.19 95.38 —

Fence posts 576.82 534.37 522.44 11.93 54.38 130.67 126.41 4.26 —

Fuelwood 212.58 177.72 175.31 2.41 37.27 9.28 8.07 1.21 —

Mulch 3,242.61 3,358.65 3,102.51 256.14 140.10 2,529.89 2,358.77 -30.67 201.79

Total 23,716.17 24,011.14 22,598.03 1,413.10 1,118.14 17,750.70 16,778.02 618.12 354.55

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

— = no sample for the cell.
20

Table A.3—Percent of overutilization and underutilization for softwood growing stock by product for sawtimber and poletimber, 

Florida, 2008

Product

Overutilization Underutilization Saw-log portion

Growing

stock utilized/

total volume

utilized

Nongrowing

stock utilized/

total volume

utilized

Growing stock

utilized/total

growing-stock

volume

Growing stock

not utilized/

total growingstock volume

Saw log

utilized/total 

saw-log

volume

Cull utilized/

total saw-log

volume

Saw log

not utilized/

total saw-log

volume

percent

Saw logs 96.69 3.31 92.43 7.57 92.75 5.11 2.15

Veneer logs 97.44 2.56 95.51 4.49 97.14 2.79 0.07

Composite panels 83.22 16.78 96.73 3.27 83.67 16.33 —

Pulpwood 89.06 10.94 97.10 2.90 94.05 5.95 —

Poles/pilings 97.29 2.71 94.12 5.88 95.22 4.78 —

Fence posts 90.57 9.43 97.77 2.23 96.74 3.26 —

Fuelwood 82.46 17.54 98.64 1.36 86.96 13.04 —

Mulch 95.68 4.32 92.37 7.63 93.24 -1.21 7.98

All products 95.29 4.71 94.11 5.89 94.52 3.48 2.00

— = no sample for the cell.

Table A.4—Volume of softwood growing stock by product and utilization for sawtimber, Florida, 2008

Product

Total

volume

utilized

Growing stock

Nongrowing

stock

utilized

Saw-log portion

Total Utilized

Not

utilized Total Utilized

Cull

utilized

Not

utilized

cubic feet

Saw logs 7,362.24 7,800.90 7,155.62 645.28 206.62 6,939.64 6,436.21 354.36 149.07

Veneer logs 5,732.80 5,856.27 5,591.00 265.27 141.80 5,502.79 5,345.52 153.57 3.69

Composite panels 21.46 22.76 19.89 2.87 1.57 17.58 14.71 2.87 —

Pulpwood 735.98 753.54 709.27 44.27 26.71 624.28 587.14 37.14 —

Poles/pilings 2,134.68 2,209.14 2,077.98 131.16 56.70 1,996.57 1,901.19 95.38 —

Fence posts 167.95 165.90 156.23 9.67 11.72 130.67 126.41 4.26 —

Fuelwood 12.65 13.44 12.23 1.21 0.42 9.28 8.07 1.21 —

Mulch 2,602.84 2,792.67 2,544.97 247.70 57.87 2,529.89 2,358.77 -30.67 201.79

Total 18,770.60 19,614.62 18,267.19 1,347.43 503.41 17,750.70 16,778.02 618.12 354.55

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

— = no sample for the cell.
21

Table A.5—Percent of overutilization and underutilization for softwood growing stock by product for sawtimber, Florida, 2008

Product

Overutilization Underutilization Saw-log portion

Growing

stock utilized/

total volume

utilized

Nongrowing

stock utilized/

total volume

utilized

Growing stock

utilized/total

growing-stock

volume

Growing stock

not utilized/

total growingstock volume

Saw log

utilized/total 

saw-log

volume

Cull utilized/

total saw-log

volume

Saw log

not utilized/

total saw-log

volume

percent

Saw logs 97.19 2.81 91.73 8.27 92.75 5.11 2.15

Veneer logs 97.53 2.47 95.47 4.53 97.14 2.79 0.07

Composite panels 92.68 7.32 87.39 12.61 83.67 16.33 —

Pulpwood 96.37 3.63 94.13 5.87 94.05 5.95 —

Poles/pilings 97.34 2.66 94.06 5.94 95.22 4.78 —

Fence posts 93.02 6.98 94.17 5.83 96.74 3.26 —

Fuelwood 96.68 3.32 91.00 9.00 86.96 13.04 —

Mulch 97.78 2.22 91.13 8.87 93.24 -1.21 7.98

All products 97.32 2.68 93.13 6.87 94.52 3.48 2.00

— = no sample for the cell.

Table A.6—Volume of softwood growing stock by product and utilization for 

poletimber, Florida, 2008

Product

Total

volume

utilized

Growing stock

Nongrowing

stock

Total Utilized utilized

Not

utilized

 cubic feet

Saw logs 877.49 818.62 811.68 6.94 65.81

Veneer logs 80.73 74.82 73.82 1.00 6.91

Composite panels 437.31 371.96 361.91 10.05 75.40

Pulpwood 2,277.82 2,010.57 1,974.79 35.78 303.03

Poles/pilings 23.65 21.81 21.81 — 1.84

Fence posts 408.87 368.47 366.21 2.26 42.66

Fuelwood 199.93 164.28 163.08 1.20 36.85

Mulch 639.77 565.98 557.54 8.44 82.23

Total 4,945.57 4,396.51 4,330.84 65.67 614.73

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

— = no sample for the cell.
22

Table A.7—Percent of overutilization and underutilization for softwood growing stock by 

product for poletimber, Florida, 2008

Product

Overutilization Underutilization

Growing stock

utilized/

total volume

utilized

Nongrowing

stock utilized/

total volume

utilized

Growing stock

utilized/total

growing-stock

volume

Growing stock

not utilized/

total growingstock volume

percent 

Saw logs 92.50 7.50 99.15 0.85

Veneer logs 91.44 8.56 98.66 1.34

Composite panels 82.76 17.24 97.30 2.70

Pulpwood 86.70 13.30 98.22 1.78

Poles/pilings 92.22 7.78 100.00 —

Fence posts 89.57 10.43 99.39 0.61

Fuelwood 81.57 18.43 99.27 0.73

Mulch 87.15 12.85 98.51 1.49

All products 87.57 12.43 98.51 1.49

— = no sample for the cell.

Table A.8—Volume of softwood cull by product and utilization, Florida, 2008

Product

Total 

volume

utilized

Nongrowing stock

Merchantable

Unmerchantable

Total Utilized utilized

Not

utilized

cubic feet

Saw logs — — — — —

Veneer logs — — — — —

Composite panels — — — — —

Pulpwood 58.61 57.04 56.78 0.26 1.83

Poles/pilings — — — — —

Fence posts — — — — —

Fuelwood 27.92 20.64 20.64 0.00 7.28

Mulch 135.30 134.59 133.97 0.62 1.33

Total 221.83 212.27 211.39 0.88 10.44

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

— = no sample for the cell.
23

Table A.9—Percent of overutilization and underutilization for softwood cull by product, 

Florida, 2008

Product

Overutilization Underutilization

Merchantable

utilized/

total volume

utilized

Unmerchantable

utilized/

total volume

utilized

Merchantable

utilized/total

merchantable

volume

Merchantable

not utilized/total 

merchantable

volume

percent

Saw logs — — — —

Veneer logs — — — —

Composite panels — — — —

Pulpwood 96.88 3.12 99.54 0.46

Poles/pilings — — — —

Fence posts — — — —

Fuelwood 73.93 26.07 100.00 —

Mulch 99.02 0.98 99.54 0.46

All products 95.29 4.71 99.59 0.41

— = no sample for the cell.

Table A.10—Volume of hardwood growing stock by product and utilization for sawtimber and poletimber, Florida, 2008

Product

Total

volume

utilized

Growing stock

Nongrowing

stock

utilized

Saw-log portion

Total Utilized

Not

utilized Total Utilized

Cull

utilized

Not

utilized

cubic feet

Saw logs 6,077.95 7,285.63 5,963.94 1,321.69 114.01 6,211.11 5,528.49 682.62 —

Veneer logs — — — — — — — — —

Composite panels — — — — — — — — —

Pulpwood 2,078.37 2,183.53 1,963.31 220.22 115.06 757.69 693.24 64.45 —

Poles/pilings — — — — — — — — —

Fence posts — — — — — — — — —

Fuelwood 858.01 685.11 685.11 — 172.90 297.58 297.58 — —

Mulch 11.89 11.99 10.62 1.37 1.27 — — — —

Total 9,026.22 10,166.25 8,622.98 1,543.28 403.24 7,266.38 6,519.31 747.07 —

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

— = no sample for the cell.
24

Table A.11—Percent of overutilization and underutilization for hardwood growing stock by product for sawtimber and poletimber, 

Florida, 2008

Product

Overutilization Underutilization Saw-log portion

Growing stock

utilized/

total volume

utilized

Nongrowing

stock utilized/

total volume

utilized

Growing stock

utilized/total

growing-stock 

volume

Growing stock

not utilized/

total growingstock volume

Saw log

utilized/

total saw-log

volume

Cull utilized/

total saw-log

volume

Saw log not

utilized/total 

saw-log

volume

percent

Saw logs 98.12 1.88 81.86 18.14 89.01 10.99 —

Veneer logs — — — — — — —

Composite panels — — — — — — —

Pulpwood 94.46 5.54 89.91 10.09 91.49 8.51 —

Poles/pilings — — — — — — —

Fence posts — — — — — — —

Fuelwood 79.85 20.15 100.00 — 100.00 — —

Mulch 89.32 10.68 88.57 11.43 — — —

All products 95.53 4.47 84.82 15.18 89.72 10.28 —

— = no sample for the cell.

Table A.12—Volume of hardwood growing stock by product and utilization for sawtimber, Florida, 2008

Product

Total

volume

utilized

Growing stock

Nongrowing

stock

utilized

Saw-log portion

Total Utilized

Not

utilized Total Utilized

Cull

utilized

Not

utilized

cubic feet

Saw logs 5,961.40 7,162.81 5,855.64 1,307.17 105.76 6,211.11 5,528.49 682.62 —

Veneer logs — — — — — — — — —

Composite panels — — — — — — — — —

Pulpwood 877.30 980.30 854.07 126.23 23.23 757.69 693.24 64.45 —

Poles/pilings — — — — — — — — —

Fence posts — — — — — — — — —

Fuelwood 438.59 360.70 360.70 — 77.89 297.58 297.58 — —

Mulch — — — — — — — — —

Total 7,277.29 8,503.81 7,070.41 1,433.40 206.88 7,266.38 6,519.31 747.07 —

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

— = no sample for the cell.
25

Table A.13—Percent of overutilization and underutilization for hardwood growing stock by product for sawtimber, Florida, 2008

Product

Overutilization Underutilization Saw-log portion

Growing

stock utilized/

total volume

utilized

Nongrowing

stock utilized/

total volume

utilized

Growing stock

utilized/total

growing-stock

volume

Growing stock

not utilized/

total growingstock volume

Saw log

utilized/

total saw-log

volume

Cull utilized/

total saw-log

volume

Saw log

not utilized/

total saw-log

volume

percent

Saw logs 98.23 1.77 81.75 18.25 89.01 10.99 —

Veneer logs — — — — — — —

Composite panels — — — — — — —

Pulpwood 97.35 2.65 87.12 12.88 91.49 8.51 —

Poles/pilings — — — — — — —

Fence posts — — — — — — —

Fuelwood 82.24 17.76 100.00 — 100.00 — —

Mulch — — — — — — —

All products 97.16 2.84 83.14 16.86 89.72 10.28 —

— = no sample for the cell.

Table A.14—Volume of hardwood growing stock by product and utilization for 

poletimber, Florida, 2008

Product

Total

volume

utilized

Growing stock

Nongrowing

stock

Total Utilized utilized

Not

utilized

cubic feet

Saw logs 116.55 122.82 108.30 14.52 8.25

Veneer logs — — — — —

Composite panels — — — — —

Pulpwood 1,201.07 1,203.23 1,109.24 93.99 91.83

Poles/pilings — — — — —

Fence posts — — — — —

Fuelwood 419.42 324.41 324.41 — 95.01

Mulch 11.89 11.99 10.62 1.37 1.27

Total 1,748.93 1,662.45 1,552.57 109.88 196.36

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

— = no sample for the cell.
26

Table A.15—Percent of overutilization and underutilization for hardwood growing stock 

by product for poletimber, Florida, 2008

Product

Overutilization Underutilization

Growing stock

utilized/

total volume

utilized

Nongrowing

stock utilized/

total volume

utilized

Growing stock

utilized/total

growing-stock

volume

Growing stock

not utilized/

total growingstock volume

percent 

Saw logs 92.92 7.08 88.18 11.82

Veneer logs — — — —

Composite panels — — — —

Pulpwood 92.35 7.65 92.19 7.81

Poles/pilings — — — —

Fence posts — — — —

Fuelwood 77.35 22.65 100.00 —

Mulch 89.32 10.68 88.57 11.43

All products 88.77 11.23 93.39 6.61

— = no sample for the cell.

Table A.16—Volume of hardwood cull by product and utilization, Florida, 2008

Product

Total 

volume

utilized

Nongrowing stock

Merchantable

Unmerchantable

Total Utilized utilized

Not

utilized

cubic feet

Saw logs — — — — —

Veneer logs — — — — —

Composite panels — — — — —

Pulpwood 343.31 322.63 306.76 15.87 36.55

Poles/pilings — — — — —

Fence posts — — — — —

Fuelwood — — — — —

Mulch 32.80 30.59 29.52 1.07 3.28

Total 376.11 353.22 336.28 16.94 39.83

Numbers in rows and columns may not sum to totals due to rounding.

— = no sample for the cell.
27

Table A.17—Percent of overutilization and underutilization for hardwood cull by product, 

Florida, 2008

Product

Overutilization Underutilization

Merchantable

utilized/total 

volume

utilized

Unmerchantable

utilized/total 

volume

utilized

Merchantable

utilized/total

merchantable

volume

Merchantable

not utilized/total 

merchantable

volume

percent

Saw logs — — — —

Veneer logs — — — —

Composite panels — — — —

Pulpwood 89.35 10.65 95.08 4.92

Poles/pilings — — — —

Fence posts — — — —

Fuelwood — — — —

Mulch 90.00 10.00 96.50 3.50

All products 89.41 10.59 95.20 4.80

— = no sample for the cell.
Bentley, James W.; Johnson, Tony G. 2009. Florida harvest and utilization 

study, 2008. Resour. Bull. SRS–162. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 27 p.

In 2008, a harvest and utilization study was conducted on 82 operations 

throughout Florida. There were 2,114 total trees measured: 1,670 or 

79 percent were softwood, while 444 or 21 percent were hardwood. Results 

from this study showed that 85 percent of the total softwood volume 

measured was utilized for a product, and 15 percent was left as logging 

residue. Seventy-four percent of the total hardwood volume measured was 

utilized for a product, while 26 percent was left as logging residue.

Keywords: FIA, growing stock, logging residue, nongrowing stock, 

overutilization, product, removals, underutilization.
The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

is dedicated to the principle of multiple use management of the 

Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of wood, water, 

forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with 

the States and private forest owners, and management of the National Forests 

and National Grasslands, it strives—as directed by Congress—to provide 

increasingly greater service to a growing Nation.

The USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the 

basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, 

sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual 

orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or 

part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. 

(Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities 

who require alternative means for communication of program information 

(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center 

at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of 

Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 

or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer.