Orange County NC Website
TABLE 2.2.8 - INDICATOR SPECIES RATING <br /> Indicator Tree Species Mill Value* Rating <br /> Pine (Loblolly/Shortleaf) $150 1.00 <br /> Oak (Northern Red Oak) $135 0.90 <br /> Mixed Hardwood (Sweetgum) $85 .57 <br /> Note: * Value/1000 board feet of standing timber. <br /> Sources: 1/Timbermart South, July, 1990. <br /> 2/ Soil Survey of Orange County, and State Office, USDA, Soil Conservation Service <br /> Steepness of Slope Rating:In many cases, slope steepness is one of the most important factors <br /> limiting forest management activities or making them more costly. Table 8 lists slope classes for Orange <br /> County in order of increasing limitation for forest management. A rating of 1.00 is assigned to the slope <br /> class (0-6%) with the least limitation to management. Ratings assigned to other slope classes are relative <br /> to the lowest slope class (15-45%) in terms of cost management. <br /> As an example,the 0-6 percent slope class is rated 1.00.The 15-45 percent slope class is rated 0.50, <br /> because it costs approximately 50 percent more to harvest trees on such slopes (1.00 x 0.50 = 0.50, and <br /> 1.00 - 0.50 = 0.50). Since there is roughly a "straight line" relationship between harvest cost and slope, <br /> the 6-15 percent slope class is rated as 0.75. <br /> TABLE 2.2.9 - STEEPNESS OF SLOPE RATING <br /> Slope Percentage Rating <br /> 0-6 1.00 <br /> 6-15 0.75 <br /> 15-45 0.50 <br /> Source: Soil Survey of Orange County, NC, USDA, Soil Conservation Service <br /> Appendix E lists Orange County soils from the flattest to the steepest according to slope.The list <br /> served as the basis for the slope ranges identified in Table 2.2.9 above. <br /> Soil Limitations Rating: In this rating, soil features, other than slope, that limit management <br /> activities or make them more costly are evaluated. Soil characteristics that limit forest management <br /> activities were derived using a system of ordination symbols which identify woodland suitability. <br /> The first part of the ordination symbol, a number, indicates the potential productivity of the soils <br /> for important trees. The number 1 indicates very high productivity-, 2, high; 3, moderately high; 4, <br /> moderate; and 5, low. The second part of the symbol, a letter, indicates the major kind of soil limitation. <br /> For Orange County, the limitations are few but important.The letter w indicates excessive water in or on <br /> the soil; c, clay in the upper part of the soil; and r, steep slopes. The letter o indicates insignificant <br /> limitations or restrictions. <br /> Ordination symbols for Orange County soils are shown in Appendix E.The major limitations,other <br /> 2.2.16 <br />