ArkAnsAs’s Forest Area of Forestland by Forest-Type Facts
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ArkAnsAs’s Forest Facts “The Natural State” The 2018 Forest Survey The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station has been conducting statewide periodic timber surveys since the 1950s. In 1999, the Arkansas Forestry Commission joined the FIA program and began the first ever annual survey for the state. The information for this current survey is de- rived from satellite imagery and certified foresters collect- ing timber measurements from over 4,000 permanent re- search plots. Forestland Area Arkansas’s forests cover 18.9 million acres or 56 percent of the State and contain 11.97 billion trees. During the 50’s and 60’s Arkansas lost almost 20 percent of its for- estland. Since 1978, forestland has increased by 1.6 million acres. Forest Distribution The Southwest, Ozark and Ouachita regions contain 88 percent of the forestland in the state. The most heavily forested County is Dallas (92%) and the least forested is Mississippi County (5%). Forest-Type Composition Most of the forest in the state is a hardwood timber type. Fifty-two percent of the pine forests are plantation. Ownership of the Forest Arkansas contains the largest National Forest area in the South with 2.5 million acres within the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National Forests. Stand-Size Distribution More than half of the forestland acres in the state are sawtimber stands. Arkansas Forestland Acreage 18.9 18.7 17.7 18.3 18.8 17.3 16 16.5 17 17.5 18 18.5 19 19.5 1978 1988 1995 2005 2010 2018 Survey Year Million Acres Ownership of Forestland Private 69% National Forest 13% Other Public 6% Forest Industry 12% Area of Forestland by Forest-Type Bottomland Hardwood 16% Cedar 2% Oak-Hickory 41% Oak-Pine 10% Pine 31% 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 Million Acres Seed/Sapling Pulpwood Sawtimber Area of Forestland by Stand-Size 2007 2013 2018
Transcript of ArkAnsAs’s Forest Area of Forestland by Forest-Type Facts
ArkAnsAs’s Forest
Facts “The Natural State”
The 2018 Forest Survey
The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station has been conducting statewide periodic timber surveys since the 1950s. In 1999, the Arkansas Forestry Commission joined the FIA program and began the first ever annual survey for the state. The information for this current survey is de-rived from satellite imagery and certified foresters collect-ing timber measurements from over 4,000 permanent re-search plots.
Forestland Area
Arkansas’s forests cover 18.9 million acres or 56 percent of the State and contain 11.97 billion trees. During the 50’s and 60’s Arkansas lost almost 20 percent of its for-estland. Since 1978, forestland has increased by 1.6 million acres.
Forest Distribution The Southwest, Ozark and Ouachita regions contain 88 percent of the forestland in the state. The most heavily forested County is Dallas (92%) and the least forested is Mississippi County (5%).
Forest-Type Composition
Most of the forest in the state is a hardwood timber type. Fifty-two percent of the pine forests are plantation.
Ownership of the Forest Arkansas contains the largest National Forest area in the South with 2.5 million acres within the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National Forests.
Stand-Size Distribution More than half of the forestland acres in the state are sawtimber stands.
Arkansas Forestland Acreage
18.9
18.7
17.7
18.3
18.8
17.3
16
16.5
17
17.5
18
18.5
19
19.5
1978 1988 1995 2005 2010 2018
Survey Year
Mil
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n A
cres
Ownership of Forestland
Private
69%
National
Forest
13%
Other Public
6%
Forest
Industry
12%
Area of Forestland by Forest-Type
Bottomland
Hardwood
16%
Cedar
2%
Oak-Hickory
41%
Oak-Pine
10%
Pine
31%
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Mil
lio
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cres
Seed/Sapling Pulpwood Sawtimber
Area of Forestland by Stand-Size
2007
2013
2018
Timber Volume Pine volumes account for 38 percent of the state’s total tree volume.
Hardwood volumes account for 58 percent of the state’s total tree volume.
Disturbances A Disturbance is an event which affects or kills at least 25% of the trees in an area. During the 2018 survey period, 85% of the annual weather disturbances occurred in hardwood forests, 52% of the fire disturbances occurred in pine or pine/oak.
Growth and Removal The 2018 survey period has shown an average annual in-crease in Pine timber growth and a decrease in removals. The growth/drain ratio is 1.5 for pine.
The volume figures from the survey shows hardwood timber is growing faster than it is being removed. The growth/drain ratio is 1.8 for hardwood.
For more information contact: Brett Dawson Public Information Manager Arkansas Agriculture Dept. 1 Natural Resources Drive Little Rock, AR 72205 [email protected]
Direct: (501) 219-6324 Mobile: (501) 313-6965 www.agriculture.arkansas.gov
Related Links:
Southern Research Station
https://www.fs.usda.gov/srsfia/states/arkansas.shtml
FIA Data and Tools https://www.fia.fs.fed.us/tools-data/index.php
SRS Publication Search https://www.srs.fs.fed.us/pubs/
The Arkansas Forestry Commission is a proud part of the Arkansas Agriculture Department and offers its programs to all eligible per-sons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability
and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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80100120140
mil
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s
6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22+
Pine Volume by Diameter Class
2007 2018
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20
40
60
80
100
120
140
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6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22+
Hwd Volume by Diameter Class
2007 2018
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40
80
120
160
200
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Insects Disease Weather Fire Animals
Average Annual Forestland Disturbance
2014-2018
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Final
Harvest
Select ive
Harvest
Commer.
Thin
Site Prep Art if icial
Regen
Average Annual Silvicultural Activities
2014-2018
Average Annual Growth and Removal on Forestland
Pine
25.327.1
15.8 17.8
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2009- 2013 2014- 2018
mil
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Growth Removal
Average Annual Growth and Removal on Forestland
Hardwood
14.315.1
7.88.80
5
10
15
20
25
30
2009- 2013 2014- 2018
mil
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Growth Removal
