The hardwood resource on nonindustrial private forest land in the Southeast Piedmont

More than h a l f of t h e commercial f o r e s t l a n d i n t h e Southeast Piedmont s u p p o r t s hardwood s t a n d s h e l d by small nonind u s t r i a l p r i v a t e landowners.T o t a l biomass production would i n c r e a s e 1 5 t o 20 p e r c e n t i f t h e s e s t a n d s were f u l l y stocked, and much o f t h e p r e s e n t product i o n could be s h i f t e d t o more d e s i r a b l e s p e c i e s .Only 21 percent o f a l l nonind u s t r i a l p r i v a t e f o r e s t (NIPF) s t a n d s are f u l l y stocked with growing-stock trees.Piedmont hardwood s t a n d s c o n t a i n an average of 75.5 t o n s per a c r e o f aboveground t r e e biomass.When t h e s e s t a n d s are harvested, 39.1 t o n s of l i v i n g residues a r e l e f t behind i n t h e form of rough o r r o t t e n c u l l trees and noncommercial s a p l i n g s .It is t h i s p r a c t i c e which h a s caused t h e l a r g e number o f poor-quality s t a n d s we have today.If t h e timber remaining after h a r v e s t is not marketable, it should be f e l l e d t o encourage t h e n a t u r a l r e g e n e r a t i o n of more d e s i r a b l e s p e c i e s .Only 37 p e r c e n t o f a l l hardwood biomass harvested ( s t a n d i n g and f e l l e d ) i s c u r r e n t l y being u t i l i z e d , The product o u t p u t from t h e hardwood r e s o u r c e could a t l e a s t be doubled with no t h r e a t t o convent i o n a l hardwood s u p p l i e s by improving u t il i z a t i o n .Dramatic i n c r e a s e s i n hardwood production can be expected i f NIPF owners can be persuaded t o employ r e l a t i v e l y inexpensive management techniques.