Treesearch

This report is written to elucidate some of the problems encountered in the planting of trees on strip-mined areas in Maryland. When problems are recognized, normally a solution (or at least, an improvement) can be instituted to alleviate the problem. The methods cited herein are those of experienced foresters engaged in strip-mine planting during the past seventeen years. Although these methods might seem very basic, the procedure and tools explained in this report give the best results with the least amount of confusion.

Westvaco Forest Research established a species comparison test including eighteen species of trees in the spring of 1978 on a recently reclaimed surface mine in Garrett County, Maryland. After two growing seasons height growth of all species has not been impressive. Seven species have better than 75 percent survival with pitch pine being best. Seven other species have survival rates between 50 and 75 percent. Tall herbaceous vegetation, like crown vetch, can be a major deterrent t o establishing trees on reclaimed surface mine sites.

Surface mining began in Southwest Virginia in the mid-1940's, however, few or no records were kept before 1950 and it was not until 1966 that the first Virginia reclamation law was passed. Two years later in 1968, the Division of Mined Land Reclamation was created and tree planting began on a uniform basis in Virginia surface mines.

This Virginia coal company's surface mined lands show an adequate stocking of tree seedlings in terms of number per acre, but the distribution of seedlings has been affected by past reclamation practices. Natural reseeding has been an important contributor to the present seedling stock.

As coal production increases, forestry will become an increasingly important land use both before and after mining activity. New studies are needed to determine the long-range effect of mining in forested areas and to maximize the production of wood products on reclaimed areas.

The findings in this statistical and analytical report of the third forest survey of Maryland, completed in 1976, are based on remeasured 1/5 acre plots and both remeasured and new 10-point variable radius plots. The present status and trends in forest-land area, timber volume, and annual growth and removals are discussed. Timber products output by forest industries, based upon a canvass of industries in 1975, and the importance of timber to the economy of Maryland also are discussed. The report includes a discussion of the outlook for timber supplies through 2006, forest-management...

A periodic evaluation of industrial timber output in Ohio based on a statewide survey of the primary wood manufacturing plants. Contains statistics on the industrial timber harvest and plant wood receipts in 1978, and the production and disposition of the manufacturing residues that resulted. The 74 million cubic feet (ft³) or 2.2 million cubic meters (m³) of industrial wood produced in 1978 represented an 8-percent decrease in production since the previous survey in 1973. Although production of pulpwood, veneer logs, and cooperage logs increased during the period, sawlog and mine timber...

Seventy-eight percent of Pennsylvania's 15.9 million acres of commercial forest land is in the hands of 490,100 private owners. Landowner information is, therefore, an essential component in obtaining a thorough understanding of Pennsylvania's forest resources. Eighty-six percent of these owners are individuals. A large majority, 63 percent of these owners, live within a mile of their nearest tract and 86 percent own only one tract. Slightly more than half have held woodland for more than 10 years. Forest industries hold only 8 percent of the privately owned forest land. Benefits other...

This annual assessment of regional timber output is based on a canvass of the pulpmills in the Northeast that use roundwood or wood residue as a basic raw material for paper, insulation, and hardboard products. The report includes a discussion and tabular data on roundwood and chips from plant residues produced in and received by the 14 northeastern states in 1978: pulpwood production by state, county, and selected species; pulpwood receipts from roundwood by state and selected species; pulpwood chip receipts by state and selected species; and production of total-tree chips. From 1977 to...