Forest statistics for Massachusetts : 1985 and 1998

114 Pages·2000·4.3 MB·English

by  Alerich, Carol L

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USDA United States Forest Statistics
Department of
Agriculture
for Massachusetts:
Forest Service
985 and 998
1 1
Northeastern
Research Station
Resource Bulletin NE-148
Carol L. Alerich
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Abstract
A statistical report on the fourth forest inventory of Massachusetts conducted in 1997-98 by the Forest Inventory
and Analysis Unit of the Northeastern Research Station. Statistics for forest area, numbers of trees, wildlife
habitat, tree biomass, timber volume, growth, and change are displayed atthe state and, where appropriate, the
county level. The current inventory indicates that there are approximately 5.7 billion cubic feet of growing-stock
volume on 2.6 million acres of timberland in Massachusetts.
Acknowledgment
The Forest Inventory and Analysis Unit thanks the landowners of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Managementfortheir cooperation and assistance during this inventory.
Manuscript received for publication 5 June 2000
Foreword
The fourth inventory of Massachusetts was directed by John R. Peters, Project Leader ofthe Forest Inventory
and Analysis Unit. David J. Alerich supervised the data-collection phase ofthe inventory. He was assisted by
Edward A. Doane, Robert E. Ilgenfritz, Brian M. LaPoint, Richard A. McCullough, Jason W. Morrison, Lucretia B.
Stewart, Kathryn M. Tillman, and Scott H. Tepke. The members of the data-collection field staff in
Massachusetts were:
Michael A. Baer Allison M. Bush William P. Groth James P. Morin
Joseph P. Barsky Thomas M. Byron Mary M. Honer Steven J. Schacht
Karl J. Benner Amy L. Calehuff Keith G. Kanoti Jerome S. Scott
Gabriel Bolton Shane A. Carter Elizabeth A. LaPoint Mark R. Snodgrass
ErikJ. Brischler Paul F. Catanzaro Michael J. Lingley Scott A. Stockhaus
Christopher W. Brown James D. Donaldson Jeffrey A. Martin Jeffrey B. Tilley
Lynn D. Brown Matthew P. Gallucci Kristin D. McCarthy
Thomas S. Frieswyk supervised information-management activities. Carol L. Alerich applied FINSYS (Forest
Inventory SYStem), a generalized data-processing system, ORACLE SQLPIus, and SAS to process and analyze
the information provided by the field crews, and produced summarytables of estimates and errors forthe state
and counties. Kathryn M. Tillman produced the summary information of the quality control data forthis report.
Richard L. Goren and Michael J. Kazimer performed data entry services. Vickie M. Sharon was responsible for
administrative and secretarial services. She was assisted by Karen Y. Chenery.
Mr. Warren E. Archey, Mr. William H. Rivers, and other members ofthe Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Management; Dr. David B. Kittredge, Jr. of The University of Massachusetts; and Dr. Alan A.
Lucier of the National Council of the Paper Industry forAir and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI) assisted in
reviewing this document for accuracy. Mr. Rivers also collected and compiled data on public ownership.
Published by: For additional copies:
USDA FOREST SERVICE USDA FOREST SERVICE
CAMPUS BLVD SUITE 200 PUBLICATIONS DISTRIBUTION
11
NEWTOWN SQUARE PA 19073-3294 359 MAIN ROAD
DELAWARE, OH 43015-8640
October 2000 Fax: [phone]
Visit our homepage at: http://www.fs.fed.us/ne
Forest Statistics for Massachusetts
1985 and 1998
Carol L. Alerich, Forester
Forest Inventory and Analysis Unit
Northeastern Research Station
USDA
Forest Service
Newtown Square, PA
Contents
Page
Highlights 1
Introduction 4
Reliability of the Estimates 4
Comparison Between Inventories 5
Definitions of Terms 6
References 13
Species Groups of Massachusetts 14
Tree Species of Massachusetts 16
Tree-Grade Classification 18
Field Plot Data Quality Standards 22
Quality Control Remeasurement Program 22
Metric Equivalents 24
Index to Tables
State Tables 25
County Tables 27
Core-Table Cross Reference 28
Resource Tables 31
Highlights cover 28 percent (0.7 million acres); white/red
pine, 17 percent (0.4 million acres); oak/pine, 8
Forest-Land Area percent (0.2 million acres), and elm/ash/red
maple, 5 percent (0.1 million acres). Other type
The 3.1 million acres of forest land in the groups combined contribute less than 100,000
Commonwealth of Massachusetts cover 62 acres.
percent of the state's total land area (5 million
acres). Timberland, the largest component of
forest land, totals 2.6 million acres and makes Northern Elm/ash/red
hardwoods maple
up 84 percent of the forest land, and 52 percent 39% 5%
of the total land area. This is a decrease from Qi.kmWhiptien/ered
1985, when timberland acres totaled 2.9 million 17%
acres, or 90 percent of the forest land, and 58 ^ Oak/pine
^
Other r 8%
percent of the total area. 3%
Oak/hickory
28%
Other
Nonforest forest Figure 3. Timberland by forest-type group (based on
38%
to relative density), Massachusetts, 1998 (Source: Table 4).
When forest type is determined using basal area
I to calculate stocking (the procedure used in
Urbanforest^F^ Timberland 1985), the three major forest type groups are
5%
52%
more equally represented. The northern
hardwoods type group makes up 29 percent (0.8
Figure 1. Area by land class, Massachusetts, 1998 million acres) of the timberland area. White/red
(Source: Table 1). pine forests cover 28 percent (0.7 million acres);
oak/hickory, 26 percent (0.7 million acres);
As expected, the eastern, more urban counties oak/pine, 9 percent (0.2 million acres), and
showed a drop in forest land, while the western elm/ash/red maple, 5 percent (0.1 million acres).
part of the state showed a slight increase since Other type groups contribute less than 100,000
1985. Across the state, there was a 3-percent acres.
drop in forest land since 1985, when forest land
covered 64 percent of the area.
Northern Elm/ash/red
Percent har/2d9wo%o-ds maple
Unit 1985 1998 change
Western Massachusetts 1,317 1,348 + 2.3 Other / White/red
Worcester 688 634 - 7.9 |9WH P'ne
Eastern Massachusetts 1,219 1,144 -6.1 28%
State total 3,224 3,126 - 3.0
Oak/hickory Oak/pine
Figure 2. Area (in thousand acres) of forest land and 26% 9%
percent change, Massachusetts, 1985 and 1998 (Source:
Table 48). Figure 4. Timberland by forest-type group (based on
basal area), Massachusetts, 1998 (Source: Table6).
Timberland When stand size is determined using relative
density as a factor, sawtimber stands (those in
When forest type is classified using relative which the stocking of live sawtimber trees
stand density to calculate stocking (a new makes up the majority) are found on 67 percent
nationally deve—loped standard procedure for all of the timberland, or 1.8 million acres.
FIA projects see Comparison Between Poletimber stands cover 28 percent (0.7 million
Inventories section), the northern hardwoods acres), and sapling and seedling stands account
type group is the most common in for 5 percent (0.1 million acres). In 1985, stand
Massachusetts. Characterized by sugar maple, sizes were distributed more evenly across the
beech, yellow birch, and black cherry, this type sawtimber and poletimber stands. Sawtimber
group makes up 39 percent (1.0 million acres) stands covered 1.2 million acres (41 percent),
of the timberland area. Oak/hickory forests while poletimber stands accounted for 1.5
1
million acres (51 percent). Sapling and seedling inches and larger in d.b.h. Eastern hemlock is
stands accounted for 0.2 million acres, or 8 the second most common tree species, with 10
percent. Poletimber stands showed a 51- percent of the saplings and 12 percent of the
percent drop while sawtimber stands increased live trees at least 5.0 inches in diameter. White
by 48 percent. pine rounds out the top three overall, with 8
percent of the saplings and 14 percent of the
live trees 5.0 inches and larger in d.b.h.
Growing-stock trees make up 91 percent of live
trees 5.0 inches and larger in d.b.h. Red maple
is the most common of the trees in this category,
with 23 percent of the growing-stock trees.
White pine makes up 15 percent of the total.
Hemlock is third, with 12 percent of all growing-
Sawtimber Poletimber Sap./seed. stock trees.
Figure 5. Area of timberland (in million acres) by stand-
size class (based on relative density), Massachusetts, There has been a negligible change in the total
1985 and 1998 (Source: Tables 3 and 4). number of growing-stock trees since 1985.
However, since the timberland acreage is down,
When stand size is classified using basal area to the number of growing-stock trees per acre is
determine stocking, sawtimber stands are found up, from 159 to 176 trees per acre.
on 73 percent of the timberland, or 1.9 million
acres. Poletimber stands cover 23 percent (0.6 In growing-stock trees 5.0 to 10.9 inches in
million acres), sapling and seedling stands, 4 d.b.h., there has been a decrease of 7 percent
percent (0.1 million acres). In 1985, sawtimber versus an increase of 28 percent in trees that
stands covered 1.6 million acres (55 percent), are 1 1 .0 inches and larger in diameter.
poletimber stands, 1.1 million acres (39
percent), and sapling and seedling stands
accounted for 0.2 million acres, or 6 percent. 400
Poletimber stands showed a 47-percent drop
while sawtimber stands increased by 18 percent.
5.0-10.9 11.0+
Figure 7. Number of growing-stock trees (in million
Sawtimber Poletimber Sap./seed. trees) on timberland by diameter group, Massachusetts,
1985 and 1998 (Source: Tables 22 and 23).
Figure 6. Area of timberland (in million acres) by stand-
size class (based on basal area), Massachusetts, 1985
and 1998 (Source: Tables 5 and 6). Growing-Stock Volume
The volume of growing-stock trees in
Numbers of Trees
Massachusetts is 5.7 billion cubic feet, or 2,174
cubic feet per acre. This is a 17-percent
There are 1.5 billion live trees 1.0 inch or larger increase since 1985 when the volume totaled
in diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) on
4.9 billion feet, or 1,686 cubic feet per acre.
Massachusetts' timberland, or 584 trees per
White pine is the leading species in growing-
acre. Of these, .5 billion (194 trees per acre) stock volume, with 1.3 billion cubic feet, or 24
are at least 5.0 inches in d.b.h. Red maple is percent of the total. Red maple growing-stock
the most common tree species in trees contribute 18 percent of the total volume,
Massachusetts, accounting for 21 percent of all or 1.0 billion cubic feet. Northern red oak ranks
saplings and 24 percent of the live trees 5.0
third with 1 1 percent of the total (0.6 billion cubic
2
feet). There has been no change in the ranking Growth and Removals
of the top three species since 1985.
Since the last inventory, the average annual net
growth of growing stock on timberland is 97.5
million cubic feet, or 37 cubic feet per acre per
year. This represents 1 .7 percent of the current
inventory. Average annual removals of growing
stock total 53.9 million cubic feet, or 20 cubic
feet per acre per year. Net change is positive
over the period since the last inventory, with an
average annual net change of 43.5 million cubic
feet.
Rates of growth to removals of growing-stock
volume vary with tree species. Red maple is
growing 2.5 times faster than it is being
500 1000 1500 removed, either by harvest or by land-use
Figure 8. Net volume of growing-stock trees (in million change, while northern red oak, the species with
cubic feet) on timberland, top five species, the highest amount of total growing-stock
Massachusetts, 1985 and 1998 (Source: Tables 33 and removals, has a growth to removals ratio of 0.8.
34).
Average annual net growth of sawtimber on
Sawtimber Volume timberland is 388.4 million board feet, or 148
board feet per acre per year. The rate of growth
With an average of 6,282 board feet per acre, to removals of sawtimber volume is 2.9. Annual
there are 16.5 billion board feet of sawtimber removals are 132.3 million board feet per year,
volume in Massachusetts. In 1985, the volume or 50 board feet per acre annually. Removals
was 12.4 billion board feet, or 4,252 board feet combined with growth yielded a positive annual
per acre; sawtimber volume has increased by 34 change in board-foot volume of 256.1 million
percent since the last inventory. As with board feet.
growing-stock volume, white pine is the top
species with 5.6 billion board feet, or 34 percent For all major species there was a positive
of the total. Red maple has 13 percent (2.1 change in board-foot volume, with white pine
billion board feet) of the total sawtimber volume. showing the largest annual increase at 67.8
Rounding out the top three sawtimber volume million board feet and a growth-to-removals ratio
species is northern red oak with 12 percent. of 2.6. Northern red oak, with a growth-to-
removals ratio of 1.7, showed an annual
increase of 20.2 million board feet.
Species Growing stock Sawtimber
White pine 1.9 2.6
Red maple 2.5 6.5
Northern red oak 0.8 1.7
Hemlock 11.8 14.9
Other red oaks 0.9 1.8
Figure 10. Growth-to-removals ratios of growing-stock
and sawtimber volume on timberland, top five species,
Massachusetts, 1984-1997 (Source: Tables 40 and 41).
Other red
oaks
1 2 3 4 5 6
Figure 9. Net volume of sawtimber trees (in billion board
feet) on timberland, top five species, Massachusetts,
1985 and 1998 (Source: Tables 36 and 37).
3
Introduction The three eastern Research Stations have
agreed to include a set of 25 core tables in each
Under the authority of the McSweeney-McNary of their state resource bulletins The format of
Forest Research Act of 1928 and subsequent any of these tables will be identical for all 37
acts, including the Renewable Resources states in the Stations' territories. Rather than
Planning Act of 1974 and the Renewable being grouped as a set, these core tabies have
Resources Research Act of 1978, the USDA been interspersed throughout this publication
Forest Service conducts periodic inventories of according to their level of data or content. The
all states to provide up-to-date information on index in this report includes both a list of tables
the forest resources of the Nation. The initial in this publication and the corresponding core-
inventory of Massachusetts' forest resources table number.
was conducted in 1953-54, the second was
completed in 1971, and the third was carried out
in 1984. This report presents forest-resource Reliability of the Estimates
data from the fourth inventory, which was
conducted in 1997-98. This inventory was a The data in this report were based on a carefully
cooperative effort of the Northeastern Research designed sample of forest conditions throughout
Station, the Massachusetts Department of Massachusetts. However, because the field
Environmental Management, and the crews did not measure every tree or every acre
landowners of Massachusetts. in the state, the data are estimates. The
reliability of the estimating procedure can be
The Forest Inventory and Analysis Unit (FIA) of judged by two important statistical measures:
the Northeastern Research Station conducted accuracy and precision. Statistically, accuracy
the inventory on all lands, developed the refers to the success of estimating the true
resource tables, and prepared this report. value; precision refers to the clustering of
sample values about their own averages or to
The sampling procedure used during the current the variation among repeated samples. We are
inventory included the use of aerial interested primarily in the accuracy of the
photography, the remeasurement of a sample of inventory, but in most cases we can only
ground plots established in earlier inventories, measure its precision.
and the establishment of new ground plots For
Massachusetts, this procedure required the Although accuracy cannot be measured exactly,
photointerpretation and classification of 18,132 it can be checked. Preliminary tables are sent
new photo points and 567 previously sampled to other agencies and to outside experts familiar
ground plot locations into land-use and cubic- with the forest conditions in Massachusetts. If
foot volume classes. Then, 541 ground plots questions arise, the data are reviewed and
from the previous inventory were remeasured reanalyzed to resolve differences. Great care is
and 257 new ground plots were established. Of taken to minimize sources of procedural error
the total 798 plots, 497 were forested at plot through careful training of both field and office
center. The data collected were summarized personnel, frequent inspection of field and office
using the FINSYS computer system developed work, and application of the most reliable
at the Northeastern Research Station. inventory methods.
The forest area, numbers of trees, wildlife Because of the care exercised in the inventory
habitat, biomass, timber volume, growth, and process, estimates of precision afford a
change statistics in this report summarize the reasonable measure of the inventory's
information collected by the field staff. Other adequacy. The precision of each estimate is
information or additional summaries may be described by its sampling error. Sampling errors
developed. For information about these, contact are given with several tables in this report. The
the Forest Inventory and Analysis Unit, USDA others are available upon request.
Forest Service, 11 Campus Boulevard, Suite
200, Newtown Square, PA 19073 (Telephone: Here is an example of how the sampling error is
610-557-4075; Fax: [phone]; Web site: used to indicate reliability. The estimate of
www.fs.fed.us/ne/fia). timberland for Massachusetts is 2,631,300
acres. The associated sampling error is 2.0
4