Butt Log Grade Distributions For Five Appalachian Hardwood Species

S2Tree quality is an important factor in determining the market value of hardwood timber stands, but many forest inventories do not include estimates of tree quality. Butt-log grade distributions were developed for northern red oak, black oak, white oak, chestnut oak, and yellow-poplar using USDA Forest Service log grades on more than 4,700 trees in West Virginia. Butt-log grade distributions indicate the probabilities associated with each grade for each species and d.b.h. class. These estimates are useful for predicting the value of timber stands for which stand tables are available.S3.

S2Tree quality is an important factor in determining the market value of hardwood timber stands, but many forest inventories do not include estimates of tree quality. Butt-log grade distributions were developed for northern red oak, black oak, white oak, chestnut oak, and yellow-poplar using USDA Forest Service log grades on more than 4,700 trees in West Virginia. Butt-log grade distributions indicate the probabilities associated with each grade for each species and d.b.h. class. These estimates are useful for predicting the value of timber stands for which stand tables are available.S3.