America's 754 million acres of forest constitute more than a major geographical feature. They are intricately woven into the national economy and culture-providing a fifth of the nation's industrial raw material, protecting and regulating its watersheds, providing grazing range for a sizeable portion of livestock, producing most of its game and much of its nonsport wildlife, and attracting millions of tourists annually.
The Southern Forest: Geography, Ecology, and Silviculture examines in-depth the forests of the South, providing a comprehensive description of the region from which most of the nation's wood for housing and paper will be grown and harvested in the future. Closing the old-growth forests of the Northwest and reduction of harvests in the tropics necessitate the U.S. South intensifying tree growth to accommodate society's requirements. This book provides the information for practicing foresters, researchers, and students to increase forest growth dramatically for the many forest types and in the various subregions without detrimentally affecting soil, species diversity, or long-term aesthetics.
The four factors of site-edaphic, biotic, climatic, and physiographic-are given special attention. Over 200 photographs; an extensive listing of literature citations; and appendixes of tree, insect, and disease agents are included. With files of field notes and photographs, Walker and Oswald revisit-and take the reader along to grasp-the South's rich forests. A land manager will need no other reference to the soils, biotic components, climate or physiology of the region.