This publication presents the results of the most recent five annual panels (2001- 2005) of Indiana's forest resources. Since 2003, total forest land area has increased by approximately 175,000 acres. As in every inventory since 1950, the oak/hickory type is the largest forest type on the landscape, making up more than 58 percent of all forested land. Softwoods make up approximately 3 percent of Indiana's forested acreage. The net volume of growing stock on timberland totaled 8.2 billion cubic feet in 2005, more than triple the 2.5 billion cubic feet estimated during the 1950 inventory. The invasive tree species tree-of-heaven continues to threaten forest health, averaging at least one tree for every acre of Indiana's forest land.

We would like to present to you the latest results of the inventory of forest land on the Hoosier National Forest, Forest Resources of the Hoosier National Forest, 2005. The Hoosier worked cooperatively with the Forest Inventory and Analysis program of the USDA Forest Service and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to complete the inventory. The results show that the Hoosier has a higher percentage of forested land than the rest of Indiana. Forest land on the Hoosier provides abundant wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed protection.