The first completed annual inventory of Missouri's forests reports more than 14.6 million acres of forest land. Softwood forests make up 4 percent of the total forest land area; oak/hickory forest types make up about three-fourths of the total hardwood forest land area. Missouri's forests have continued to increase in volume, with all-live tree volume on forest land in Missouri an estimated 18 billion cubic feet compared to 9 billion cubic feet in 1972. All-live tree biomass on forest land in Missouri amounted to 573 million dry tons in 1999-2003. Almost 9 percent was in small trees, 74 percent was in growing-stock trees, and 17 percent was in non-growingstock trees. Softwood growth was 44.1 million cubic feet per year and hardwood growth was 585.3 million cubic feet per year. Oak species constitute roughly three-fourths of the volume and three-fourths of the harvest. Total net all-live volume of oaks on timberland increased by 24 percent between 1989 and 2003. More than 82 percent of Missouri's forest land is held by private landowners.

The first completed annual inventory of Missouri's forests reports more than 14.6 million acres of forest land. Softwood forests make up 4 percent of the total forest land area; oak/hickory forest types make up about three-fourths of the total hardwood forest land area. Missouri's forests have continued to increase in volume, with all-live tree volume on forest land in Missouri an estimated 18 billion cubic feet compared to 9 billion cubic feet in 1972. All-live tree biomass on forest land in Missouri amounted to 573 million dry tons in 1999-2003. Almost 9 percent was in small trees, 74 percent was in growing-stock trees, and 17 percent was in non-growing-stock trees. Softwood growth was 44.1 million cubic feet per year and hardwood growth was 585.3 million cubic feet per year. Oak species constitute roughly three-fourths of the volume and three-fourths of the harvest. Total net all-live volume of oaks on timberland increased by 24 percent between 1989 and 2003. More than 82 percent of Missouri's forest land is held by private landowners.

Th e national FIA plot design (Fig. 1) consists of four 24-ft-radius subplots confi gured as a central subplot and three peripheral subplots. Centers of the peripheral subplots are located at distances of 120 ft and at azimuths of 0, 120, and 240 from the center of the central subplot. Each tree with diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) 5 inches or greater is measured on these subplots. Each subplot contains a 6.8-ft-radius microplot with center located 12 ft east of the subplot center on which each tree with d.b.h. between 1 and 5 inches is measured. Factors that diff erentiate forest conditions include forest type, stand-size class, stand origin, land use, ownership, and density. Forest conditions that occur on any of the four subplots are identifi ed and recorded; if the area of the condition is 1 acre or greater, the condition is mapped on the subplot.