Texas Almanac, 1947-1948 Page: 169
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NATIVE PLANT LIFE OF TEXAS
The native plant life of Texas may be
divided into five great classifications, corre-
sponding roughly to five plant life provinces
which extend across the state from east to
west with plant stature and prolificacy of
growth declining as mean annual precipita-
tion decreases. These classifications do not
correspond exactly with the geographic bound-
aries shown in greater detail on the map on
p. 168, but overlap. By looking at the map,
however, the general range of these more
generalized classifications can be ascertained
These five major classifications are (1) the
primary forests of East Texas which include
nearly all of the state's saw timbers and
probably 90 per cent of all commercially val-
uable tree growth, (2) the secondary forests
and woodlands including the post oak, live
oak, mesquite, cedar and other minor growths
of tree classification; (3) the brush areas of
dwarf oak and mesquite, catclaw, huajillo
and other shrubs and small trees and prickly
pear (opuntia) cactus in South and South-
west Texas, (4) the grasslands of the Coastal
Prairies, Blacklands, Central and West Texas
and the High Plains, and (5) the arid land
vegetation of the Trans-Pecos including sotol,
ocotillo, lechuguilla, guayule, creosote bush
and cactus.
FORESTS AND WOODLANDS
The principal forest and woodland belts of
Texas that cai be defined fairly definitely
are as follows, according to the Texas Forest
Service, Agricultural and Mechanical College
of Texas.
1. The Pine Belt of East Texas (D on map,
p. 168.)
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
post-oak belt. (J on map.)
4. The Cedar Brakes. (Southeastern and
eastern portions of the area marked I on map,
and with an extension northward into Coryell,
Bosque, Somervell and Hood Counties )
5. The Trans-Pecos Mountain Timbers, in-
cluding the mountain sides and high valleys
of the Chisos, Davis, 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. (H, G, I and southeast half of K.)
Total Woodland Area.
The area covered by trees in Texas has
been roughly estimated to cover 76 million
acres-the greatest woodland area of any
state in the nation. No accurate survey has
ever been made of Texas' tree regions-out-
side of the East Texas pine belt. Information
on the other regions has been compiled from
a number of scirces. Total estimated area by
major forest and woodland regions are as
follows: Pine Belt, 11,000,000 acres; Post-Oak
Belt, 5,000,000, East and West Cross Timbers,
5.000,000, Cedar Brakes, 5,000,000; Mesquite,
50,000,000.
East Texas Pine Belt.
The pine and hardwood forests of East
Texas constitute by far the most important
of the timber areas. Covering all or large
parts of thirty-six counties, the area includes
about 18,655,000 acres of which 57 per cent
was timbered in 1945, 33 per cent in farms,
and 10 per cent in towns, roads, etc.
East Texas Forest Types and Conditions,
In 1945 and 1946 the Federal Government
made a reappraisal survey, which was made
originally in 1935, 1936 and 1937, of sections
of the East Texas area to determine whatchanges had occurred In the ten-year period.
The following statistics are the latest avail-
able, as reported by the U. S. Forest Service:
Condition of Commercial Forest Land.
Condition- Acres Pct.
Virgin growth................ 143,000 1.36
Second growth (of sawlog size) 6,916,000 65.57
Pole timber ................. 1,049,000 10.00
Seedlings and saplings........ 902,000 8.55
Poorly stocked and denuded... 1,538,000 14.52
Total ...............10,548,000 100.00
Sawtlmber Volumes (Lumber Tally).
Species- Board Feet. Pct.
Softwoods ...............19,183,000,000 69.7-9
Hardwoods ............. 8,305,000,000 30.21
Total ................. 27,488,000,000 100.00
*Sawtlmber Volumes by Areas.
Area- Board Feet. Pct.
On virgin timber area ... 2,137,000,000 7.78
On 2d-growth timber area. 24,534,000,000 89.25
On all other timber area.. 817,000,000 2.97
Total ................27,488,000,000 100.00
Average volume per acre, all classes: 2,606
board feet per acre.
tCubic Volume.
Species- Cubic Feet. Pct.
Softwoods ............... 6,069,000,000 59.12
Hardwoods .............. 4,197,000,000 40.88
Total ................10,266,000,000 100.00
Tree Classes- Cubic Feet. Pct.
Sawtimber trees ......... 5,957,000,000 58.03
Pole timber trees......... 4.309.000,000 41.97
Total ................ 10,266,000,000 100.00
Ownership of Sawtimber.
Ownership- Board Feet. Pct.
National forest .......... 1,340,000.000 4.88
Other federal .......... 14,000,000 .05
State and county......... 34,000,000 .12
Farm woodlands......... 6,943.000,000 25.26
Other private ...........19,157,000,000 69.69
Total ............... 27.,488.000.000 100.00
Timber Growth, 1945.
Species- Cubic Feet. Pct.
Softwoods .............. 424,000,000 75.70
Hardwoods .............. 136,000,000 24.30
Total ... ............ 560,000,000 100.00
Average: 53 cubic feet per acre (based on
10,548,000 acres)
Timber Growth. 1946.
Species- Board Feet. Pct
Softwoods ...............1,368,000,000 82.96
Hardwoods ............... 281,000,000 17.04
Total ................1,649,000,000 100.00
Average* 156 board feet per acre (based on
10 548,000 acres).
Texas Timber Growth and Consumption.
During the past ten years there has been
an over-all reduction of only 3 per cent in
the pine and hardwood sawtimber volume in
East Texas. In other words the amount of
timber cut has only slightly exceeded the
amount grown. However, experts point out
that the balance has been dangerously close
and that there has been a reduction in the
average size and quality of the pine timber.
In an average year, the drain of timber cut
for all forest products runs almost 1,750,000,-
000 board feet.
Compared by sections, the picture is dif-
ferent. In nineteen Northeast Texas counties
there was a 39 per cent reduction in saw-
timber volume in the last ten years. This
"Sawtirnber volumes are based on pine trees
9 inches and larger min diameter at breast height
and hardwoods 13 inches and larger in diameter
at breast height.
tCubic volume Is based on all trees 5 inches in
diameter at breast height (dbh) and larger, ex-
cept for "pole timber" trees where volume on
ine trees includes those 5 inches to 9 inches and
ardwoods 5 inches to 13 inches and for sawtnber
trees on pine from 9 inches and larer and on
hardwood from 13 inches and larger.
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Texas Almanac, 1947-1948, book, 1947; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117136/m1/171/?q=%22oil-gas%22: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.