Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. STATION LIBRARY CGPY FOREST SURVEY RELEASE NO. 9 MAY 15, 1941 THE DISTRIBUTION OF COMMERCIAL FOREST TREES IN SOUTH CAROLINA by E. V. Roberts, Regional Survey Director and J. W. Cruikshank, Associate Forest Economist U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOREST SERVICE Appalachian Forest Experiment Station R. E. McArdle, Director Asheville, N. C. ft PREFACE Through the McSweeny-McNary Act of 1928, Congress authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a comprehensive survey of the forest resources of the United States. The Forest Survey was organized by the Forest Service to carry out the provisions of the Act, and each of the 12 Regional Forest Experiment Stations is responsible for the work in its territory. In the Middle Atlantic States the Forest Survey is an activity of the Appalachian Forest Experiment Station, Asheville, North Carolina . The work of the Survey is divided into 5 major phases: 1. Inventory. Determination of the extent, location, and con- dition of forest lands, and the quantity, species, and quality of the timber on these lands. 2. Growth. Determination of the current rate of timber growth . 3. Drain. Determination of the amount of industrial and domestic wood use, and the total loss resulting from fire, insects, disease, suppression, and other causes. 4. Requirements . Determination of the current and probable future requirements for forest products by all classes of consumers . 5. Policies and plans. Analysis of the relation of these find- ings to one another and to other economic factors as a basis for public and private policies and plans of forest land use and management. This progress report presents information on one part of the inven tory phase of the Survey and deals specifically with the geographic dis- tribution of the more important commercial forest trees in South Carolina The report is made possible through the assistance received from the personnel of the Work Projects Administration, Particular credit is due Mr, W. H. Winston and Mr. Harry Watkins of the Work Projects staff The preparation of the maps from the basic field data were official proj- ects 765-32-3-1 and 165-2-32-94, Assisting Survey Staff G. E. Morrill) Preparation of T. C. Evans ) Tables of Volume CONTENTS Page Preface i Purpose of Report 1 Method of Constructing Maps 1 Maps based on forest types 2 Maps based on species and diameter-class 2 The Forests of South Carolina 2 Species 2 Forest types 3 Forest conditions 3 Forest Survey Releases Pertaining to South Carolina 3 Distribution Maps of Commercial Forest Trees 4 Loblolly pine 5 Shortleaf pine 6 Longleaf pine 7 Slash pine S Virginia pine 9 Redcedar 10 Cypress 11 Red oak 12 White oak 13 Hickory 14 Sweetgum 15 Sreetgum 16 Blackgum 17 Blackgum 18 Yellowpoplar 19 Yelloiffpoplar 20 iii THE DISTRIBUTION OF COMMERCIAL FOREST TREES IN SOUTH CAROLINA PURPOSE OF REPORT The geographic distribution of the species of forest trees and their sizes, is of considerable economic importance to the wood-using in- dustries, The ordinary forest type maps are valuable for many purposes but for industrial use maps are needed which show where certain species and tree sizes are most abundant. Established plants must know the lo- cation of areas with suitable timber supplies and prospective wood-using industries need the same information in order to select desirable loca- tions. The maps included in this report are designed to provide more defi- nite information regarding the location of forest tree species in South Carolina. They show where selected species of commercial importance occur and, wnat is more important from an industrial standpoint, the areas of dense concentration. Forest industries can thus avoid the expense of wide reconnaissance and can concentrate their wood procurement activities in the most favorable localities. METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING MAPS The sample plots established in 1934 and 1936 by the Forest Survey in the comprehensive inventory of the forest resources of South Carolina have been used in the construction of these maps. The plots were located at intervals of one-eighth of a mile on parallel compass lines 10 miles apart extending across each of the survey units into which the state was divided (fig. l). The data recorded on each forest plot included a brief over-all description of the forest stand and a tally of the species, num- ber, and size of all forest trees one inch and larger in diameter at breast height. This procedure gave an accurate picture of the timber stand on each forest plot, but because of the neces- sity for using a sampling method rather than a. 100-percent tally of all forest land, each plot represents about 800 acres of forest. Obviously many local concentrations of timber could not be sampled and the maps are therefore not reliable for locating timber on small ownerships. Nearly 24,000 uniformly distributed plots in South Carolina do provide, however, a dependable measure of the commercial concentration of certain species and sizes within coun- ties . FIGURE I.— APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF SURVEY LINES IN SOUTN CAROLINA. On each nap the total volume of sound trees is shown by diameter- class for each unit and for the state. The volume of the under-sawlog- size trees is given in cords and the net volume of saw-timber material is given in board feet measured by the International 5-inch rule, a close approximation of green lumber tally. In a few units the volume of certain species is insignificant and is not shown separately. The accompanying maps are of two distinct kinds ; those based upon forest types and those based upon species and diameter-class. They are described' as follows. Maps Based on Forest Types The maps showing the distribution of loblolly, shortleaf, longleaf , slash, and Virginia pines are based upon forest types. That is, every dot represents a forest plot on which the designated pine type is pre- dominant. On the map showing the distribution of loblolly pine in South Carolina, for example, each dot is a forest plot typed in the field as loblolly pine. Other pine species may have been present upon the plot but not in sufficient quantity to influence the type classification. This method delineates the area dominated by a particular pine species and is not intended to indicate the maximum range of any one species. Maps Based on Species and Diameter Class The maps showing the distribution of redcedar, cypress, red and white oaks, hickory, sweetgum, blackgum and tupelo , and yellowpoplar are based upon the occurrence of individual trees on the sample plot For example, each dot on the map showing the distribution of cypress represents a plot on which there was at least one sound cypress tree 12.0 inches or larger in diameter at breast height. On many of these plots there were undoubtedly several large cypresses. As every species was not plotted uniformly in regard to the number of individual trees per plot or size- class represented, the basis is given in the legend of each map. The dis- tribution of oaks, gums, and yellowpoplar 18.0 inches d.b.h. and larger has been presented to facilitate industrial use of these premium sizes. THE FORESTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA^ Species In South Carolina forests occupy about 11 million acres, 55 per- cent of all the land. Loblolly pine greatly exceeds the other species in abundance, particularly in the Coastal Plain. Shortleaf pine, second in volume rating, is concentrated in the Piedmont but occurs throughout l/A detailed description of South Carolina's forest resources and industries is presented in the Forest Survey Releases listed on page 3. Copies of these releases may be obtained by writing the Appalachian For- est Experiment Station, Asheville, North Carolina. -2- the state Longleaf pine is common in the Coastal Plain but comparatively rare elsewhere. Slash pine grows in the extreme southern portion and Virginia pine in the extreme northwestern portion of the state but the quantity of both these species is small, Sweetgum leads the hardwoods in board-foot volume and is especially abundant in the northern part of the Coastal Plain, Blackgum and tupelo also make up a high proportion of the stand in that area and to a smaller degree in the entire Coastal region The red and white oaks are distrib- uted throughout the state but attain their best development along the larger rivers near the coast. Many other hardwoods are common, notably yellowpoplar , ash, and several species of hickory. Forest Types The pine types occupy ?3 percent of the forest land. There are about four million acres of loblolly pine-hardwoods, two million acres of shortleaf pine-hardwoods including Virginia pine, and 1,8 million acres of longleaf and slash pine. Hardwood types occupy the remaining 2-9 million acres of the forest land. The bottom-land hardwoods, 2,2 million acres in extent, are located in extensive bottom lands of the Coastal Plain. They are an important component of the forest because they contain a high proportion of old- growth material. The upland hardwoods type, which occupies 700 ,.000 acres in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, is usually composed of oaks, hickories and yellowpoplars in mixture with other hardwoods of less common occurrence. Forest Conditions About 15 percent of the forest land is stocked with old-growth tim- ber, 43 percent is stocked with sawlog-size second growth, 41 percent with under-sawlog-size second growth, and one percent is clearcut and not re- stocking. Almost one-half of the 1 6 million acres of old growth are bottom-land hardwoods. The 4*6 million acres of second-growth saw timber are distributed rather uniformly throughout the state and are about one- half loblolly pine-hardwoods . One-third of the 4-4 million acres of young second growth are also stocked with loblolly pine. Nearly all of the 124?000 acres of clear-cut land are located in the northern part of the Coastal Plain, FOREST SURVEY RELEASES PERTAINING TO SOUTH CAROLINA Forest Resources of the Northern Coastal Plain of South Carolina, Forest Survey Release No. 1, July 15 , 1939 • (Survey Unit No. 2). Forest Resources of the Piedmont Region of South Carolina. Forest Survey Release No, 2, September 1, 1939* (Survey Unit No. 3)* Forest Resources of the Southern Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Forest Survey Release No. 3? December 1, 1939* (Survey Unit No. 1). -3- DISTRIBUTION MAPS OF COMMERCIAL FOREST TREES Map Tree Species Included Loblolly pine - Loblolly pine Shortleaf pine - Shortleaf pine Longleaf pine - Longleaf pine Slash pine - Slash pine Virginia pine - Virginia pine Redcedar - Eastern redcedar Cypress - Baldcypress , pondcypress Red oak - Black, scarlet, water, willow, southern red, cherrybark, and northern red oak White oak - White oak, swamp chestnut oak Hickory - Bitternut, water, shagbark, mockernut, and pignut hickory Sweetgum - Sweetgum Blackgum - Blackgum, water tupelo Yellowpoplar - Yellowpoplar 5 FOREST SURVEY APPALACHIAN FOREST EXPERIMENT STATION w ex ex o o 6 SPARTAfv.BUKG 7 SPAPTA\>4U* X V) Uj 12 SPARTANBURG 13 FOREST SURVEY APPALACHIAN FOREST EXPERIMENT STATION grefnville rH O 1 O co CO o P O 1 T* CO CO OJ I Ov ^ rH 1 1 P 1 1 p o © o CO CO o S r<\ © co © O'' H- >» o a y o cO d CO © § i « a 1 » o « 1 • 1 1 1 1 1 1 — 1 rH rH 1 s O XI 1 1 » s 3 rH 1 1 1 1 1 i C/3 1 1 © © CO co L8 24 er p u © T- P class .d o d M 1 I vO O rH 1 • S O «« •H ^ rt ,o rH © P o CO E-< 14 OK,F,V,^t bPflBTh».bUhG 3 X W k— I- CO CO UJ LU a a o o 15 SPARTANBURG O iH ir\ 0 1 J£\C0 J HO p £V b 1 1 «• • 1 CVJ CVJ 1 rH CVJ ■p > © *2 P— CVJ © H U\ $-4 O CVJ CVJ rH NA 0 o o u CO d o .O S CVJ 0 0 3 Os ,H fl c— os o OHO KV CVJ sO H H ■H H O g CO H -H • 0