Hardwood Sawtimber Trends in Alabama 19532000

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Hardwood Sawtimber Trends in Alabama 1953-2000
David South
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The location of Alabamas hardwoods
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Alabamas hardwood sawtimber

• In 1953, specifications for hardwood log grades
  1, 2 and 3 were based on the suitability for
  producing lumber. The yield of No. 1 common
  and better lumber in grade 1 logs varies from 65
  to 80, in grade 2 logs from 40 to 64 and in
  grade 3 logs 13 to 36 (Wheeler 1953).
• Only about 5 of the sawtimber volume in Alabama
  was classified as Grade 1 in 1953 (Wheeler 1953).

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Alabamas hardwood sawtimber

• For many hardwood species, we have more sawtimber
  today (growing in the woods) than we did in 1990
  or 1953. From 1990 to 2000, the inventory of
  hardwood sawtimber increased by 33 (SRS-67).
  From 1953 to 2000, the increase was approximately
  180.
• We have more grade 12 sawtimber trees today than
  for all tree grades in 1953!

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What about select oak species?

• For all oaks, we have more grade 1 2 sawtimber
  trees in 2000 than we had of all tree grades in
  1953.
• For white oak and chestnut oak, we have more
  grade 12 trees today than we had of all grades
  in 1953.
• For southern red, cherrybark, and Shumard oaks,
  we have more grade 1 trees now than had of all
  grades in 1953.

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ANR-581
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ANR-581
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What about black walnut?

• In 1953, black walnut was grouped with ash and
  basswood. In 2000, we have 5 million board feet
  of grade 1 black walnut trees.
• For black walnut, ash and basswood, we have more
  grade 12 trees now than for all grades in 1953.
  

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What about yellow poplar?

• In 2000, we had more standing board feet of grade
  1 trees than for all grades in 1953!

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What about sweetgum and hickory?

• For sweetgum, we had more standing board feet of
  grade 12 trees in 2000 than for all grades in
  1953.
• For hickory, we have more grade 1,23 trees today
  than we did in 1953.

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What about soft maple, beech and cottonwood?

• In 2000, we had more standing board feet of grade
  1 trees than for all grades in 1953.

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What about longleaf and slash pine?

• Although we have more standing sawtimber today of
  longleaf and slash pine, the percentage increase
  over the past 50 years has not been as great as
  with most hardwood species.
• Today, the amount of standing longleaf pine was
  about 0.896 billion cubic feet in 1953 compared
  to 1.004 billion cubic feet in 2000.

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What about stumpage value?

• Although there are exceptions, landowners are
  typically paid less per ton for hardwood
  sawtimber than for pine sawtimber.
• Depending upon species, some mills do pay more
  for grade 1 hardwoods than for grade 3 loblolly
  pine.

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What about the opinions of foresters?
If you ask a forester about what has happened to
the quality of hardwood sawtimber over the past
50 years, you will probably get a reply like
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Oh its not what it used to be and we had
better do something about improving the quality
of our hardwood sawtimber.
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References
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.
1958. Timber resources for America's future. For.
Resour. Rep. 14. Washington, DC U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Forest Service. 713 p.
Wheeler, Philip R. 1953. Forest Statistics for
Alabama. USDA Forest Service, Southern Forest
Experiment Station, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Forest Survey Release 73.
Management of Hardwood Forests for Timber in
Alabama ANR-581, Reprinted Apr 1996. Mark R.
Dubois, Originally prepared by Robert H. Jones