Texas Almanac, 1943-1944 Page: 103
[338] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Flora of Texas Plant Life Resources.
The variety of physiographic conditions,
arising from a corresponding varied earth
structure beneath the surface of Texas, men-
tioned in a preceding chapter, is logically
accompanied by variety of native plant life.
From the cypress and the lily pads of Caddo
Lake to the yucca and lechuguilla of the
Diablo Plateau, and from the palms of the
Rio Grande Valley to the short grass plains
of the Panhandle, Texas extends through a
ide range of plant life conditions-moist to
arid, subtropical to temperate.
This variety of native plant life has been of
profound consequence in the economic devel-
opment of Texas. The East Texas pine for-
ests furnished a homey environment for the
easily settler from the Old South-and logs
for the construction of his home, rails for his
fences, firewood for his hearth Later these
forests were the source of materials for
Texas' first large manufacturing industry-
lumbering, vhich is one of the leading in-
dustries today.
In the western part of the state the grass-
lands became the basis of the great livestock
industry that, even before the day of rail-
roads, sent millions of cattle up the trails to
northern markets. In many minor ways the
plant life of Texas has contributed to eco-
nomic well-being-the pecan crop which
comes largely from native trees, the native
grasses cut for market, the honey crop from
Texas' profusion of wild flowers, the coer
that is afforded wild game. Above all, of
course, this native plant life-from grasses
to trees-has been the great conserver of
soils and the regulator of stream flow.
Trees and Tree Belts
The principal native plant life belts of
Texas are shown on a map and described
briefly on page 105. With reference strictly
to trees, the principal belts of Texas may be
discerned on this map as follows
1 The Pine Belt of East Texas. (D on
map )
2 The Post Oak Belt lying immediately
west of the pine belt with its extension along
the Red River and thence southward in the
East Cross Timbers. (E on map)
3 The West Cross Timbers, a secondary
postoak belt. (J on map )
4 The Cedar Brakes. (Southeastern and
eastern portions of the area marked I on
imap, and with an extension northward into
Coi yell, Bosque, Somertell and Hood Coun-
ties )
5 The Trans-Pecos Mountain timbers, in-
cluding the mountain sides and high valleys
of the Chisos, Dais, Guadalupe and other
mountains producing pine, oak, fir and juni-
per, principally. (N on map )
6 The Mesquite Belt extending from the
Rio Grande plain northward across the Ed-
wards Plateau into North Central Texas and
eastward into the Blackland Prairies in a few
places. (II, G, I and southeast part of K )
THE PINES OF TEXAS.
The pines of Texas may be divided into
two distinct classifications (1) Those in East
Texas, and (2) those in the mountains of the
Trans-Pecos The pines of East Texas furnish
most of the lumber output of Texas-the re-
maining lumber production coming from the
hardwoods of that region The pines of the
Trans-Pecos, while representative of timbers
that are of great commercial talue on the
Pacific Coast and in the Rockies, are not of
sufficient growth in Texas for lumber produc-
tion. The Eastern Texas pines are part of the
gieat Southern Pine Belt and the pines west
of the Pecos are in the extreme southeast
extension of the Western pines. Texas is the
only tate having representatives of both
groups growing within its bounds.The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) is
found in the deep sand section of East Texas
centering about Angelina, Tyler, Newton, Jas-
per and contiguous counties. It is the cen-
ter of the greatest lumber manufacturing
industries of Texas today. The shortleaf pine,
or yellow pine (Pinus echinata Mill ) extends
from central Eastern Texas northward to the
Red River. It has been the source of an enor-
mous lumber production and there are many
sawmills operating in the shortleaf pine sec-
tion today. Being of more rapid growth than
the longleaf pine it lends itself better to farm
forestry. It is an upland pine, grow ing
usually in the sandy regions. The loblolly
pine (Pinus taeda L ) is found between the
longleaf belt and the coast, extending from
the Louisiana border as far west as Waller
County. It is found also in limited amount
throughout the shortleaf section. It grows
best on the lower sandy soils where water is
near the surface. It is of rapid growth and
is at present a source of great lumber supply.
Western pines, found in the Trans-Pecos
Mountains, including the Guadalupe, Da.is
and Chisos ranges, are the Mexican pine
(Pinus strobiformis Engl.), the limber pine,
or Rocky Mountain white pine (Pinus flexilis
James), the nut or pinion pine (Pinus edulis
Engelm.), and the Western yellow pine (Pi-
nus ponderosa Laws).
East Texas Pine Belt.
The pine and hardwood forests (the "Piney
Woods") of East Texas constitute by fai" the
most important of the timber areas Cot er-
ing all or large part of thirty-six counties,
the area includes about 22.000,000 acres, of
which about one half is now timber lands the
remainder having been converted to agiicul-
ture and other commercial and industrial pur-
poses.
East Texas Forest Types and Conditions
The main forest types found within the East
Texas pine and hardwood belt have been
classified as follows, according to the recently
completed forest survey figures released by
the Southern Forest Experiment Station
Pet of
Type- Acres Total
Longleaf pine ...... ........ 931.000 8
Shortleat-lobloll pine........ 6,326,000 60
Upland hardwoods ....... 1,422 UO0 13
Bottomland hardwoods ...... 1,874,000 18
Total all types ............10,553,000 100
These forests ae chaacterized by second
growth timber-, which although they do not
hate the high quality of the original old-
growth stands are of sufficiently good qual-
it to supply most market needs. Their con-
dition as determined by the forest survey,
above mentioned, follows
Condition and Acreage
Reprnduc-
*Old Second tion and
Growth Growth Clear Cut
Type- (Acres 1 (Acres i (Acres)
Longleaf pine . 128,000 513,000 290,000Shortleaf lob-
lolly pine ... 375,000
Upland hard-
woods .... 259,000
Bottomland
hardwoods .. 698,000
Total ....1,460,000
Pet. of total... 14
Merchantable5,825,000
1,051,000
1,138,000
8,527,000
81
Timber.126,000
112.000
38,000
566,000
5The total merchantable wood volume in
Texas, classed either as saw timber or cord-
wood, on January 1, 1939, the most recent
figures available from the Southern Forest
*Old growth includes remaining areas of virgin
timber and areas cut over lightly in the past but
which now have essential characteristics of virgin
stands.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Texas Almanac, 1943-1944, book, 1943; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117165/m1/105/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.