Trends in hardwood timber resources for the Northern states

The forests of the 20-state Northern Region are maturing. The portion of timberland covered by sawtimber-size stands has increased and the area in the sapling/seedling-size stands has decreased. Growing-stock volume has doubled since the early 1950's. Most of the recent gains in volume have occurred on sawtimber-size trees, resulting in large increases in sawtimber volume. Individual species are growing and being removed at different rates, causing changes in the species composition of the forest. For example, red maple (Acer rubrum L.) is increasing at a faster rate than many of the more desirable species, such as oaks (Quercus spp.).