Vermont's Forests 2007

Abstract

The fi rst full annual inventory of Vermont's forests reports more than 4.5 million acres of forest land with an average volume of more than 2,200 cubic feet per acre. Forest land is dominated by the maple/beech/ birch forest-type group, which occupies 70 percent of total forest land area. Sixty-three percent of forest land consists of large-diameter trees, 27 percent contains medium-diameter trees, and 9 percent contains small-diameter trees. The volume of growing stock on timberland has been rising since the 1980s and currently totals nearly 9 billion cubic feet. The average annual net growth of growing stock on timberland from 1997 to 2007 is approximately 180 million cubic feet per year. Additional information is presented on forest attributes, land use change, carbon, timber products, and forest health. Detailed information on forest inventory methods and data quality estimates is included in a DVD at the back of the report. Tables of population estimates and a glossary are also included.

Forests of Vermont and New Hampshire 2012

“…The largest positive changes in growth-to-removals ratio between 2007 and 2012 were in white ash (2.5 to 5.6), northern red oak (2.8 to 5), and eastern hemlock (3.2 to 5.5). By contrast, changes in growth-to-removals ratio for eastern white pine (1.5 to 1.1) and balsam fir (1.1 to 0.8) were negative (Morin et al 2011a). (Fig.…”

“…19). Since 1983, forest land area in the moderately and fully stocked classes for all live trees and growing-stock trees has increased, and at the same time, overstocked area has decreased in both States (Morin et al 2011a(Morin et al , 2011b. However, since 2007, the distribution of forest land area among stocking classes has remained stable ( acres) and 1.9 times greater in New Hampshire (517,000 to 268,000 acres).…”

“…In previous reports on IPS for Vermont and New Hampshire which covered the 2007-2008 P2 invasive plot data (Morin 2011a(Morin , 2011b, 10 of the invasive species monitored were observed. In the 2012 inventory, the number of IPS observed on P2 invasive plots increased to 16.…”

“…Data are based on visits to 1,100 plots located across Vermont and 1,091 plots located across New Hampshire. Previous forest inventories in Vermont were completed in 1948 (McGuire and Wray 1952), 1965(Kingsley and Barnard 1968(Frieswyk and Malley 1985b, Kingsley 1977(Frieswyk and Malley 1985b, Frieswyk and Widmann 2000b), 1997 (Frieswyk and Widmann 2000b), and 2007 (Morin et al 2011a). Previous forest inventories in New Hampshire were completed in 1952 (U.S. Forest Service 1954), 1960 (Ferguson and Jensen 1963(Frieswyk and Malley 1985a, Kingsley 1976(Frieswyk and Malley 1985a, Frieswyk and Widmann 2000a(Frieswyk and Widmann 2000a, and 2007 (Morin et al 2011b).…”

“…49, VT). Noncommercial tree species combined also represent a large portion of saplings (16 percent) which is a 3 percent decrease since the 2007 inventory (Morin et al 2011a). Striped maple is the most numerous of the noncommercial species followed by pin cherry and eastern hophornbeam.…”