A forest type is a classification of forest land based on the species presently forming a plurality of living trees growing in that particular forest. The United States Forest Service has developed a listing of forest cover type groups.
A complete forest type map of the United States
Major Eastern Forest Cover Groups:
White-red-jack pine forest map — Forests in which eastern white pine , red pine , or jack pine singly or in combination, comprise a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include hemlock , aspen, birch , and maple .
Spruce-fir forest map — Forests in which spruce or true firs, singly or in combination, comprise a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include white cedar , tamarack , birch , maple and hemlock .
Elm-ash-cottonwood forest map — Forests in which elms , ashes , or cottonwood , singly or in combination, comprise a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include willow, sycamore , American beech , and maples .
Loblolly-shortleaf pine forest map — Forest in which pines (except longleaf and slash pines) and eastern redcedar, singly or in combination, comprise a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include oaks , hickories , and gums.
Longleaf-slash pine forest map — Forests in which longleaf or slash pines, singly or in combination, comprise a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include other southern pines , oaks , and gums.
Oak-gum-cypress forest map — Bottomland forests in which tupelo, blackgum , sweetgum , oaks, or southern cypress , singly or in combination, comprise a plurality of the stocking except where pines comprise 25 to 49 percent, in which case the stand would be classified oak-pine. Common associates include cottonwoods, willows, ashes , elms , hackberry, and maples .
Oak-hickory forest map — Forests in which upland oaks or hickories , singly or in combination, comprise a plurality of the stocking, except where pines comprise 25 to 49 percent, in which case the stand would be classified oak-pine. Common associates include yellow-poplar, elms , maples , and black walnut.
Oak-pine forest map — Forests in which hardwoods (usually upland oaks) comprise a plurality of the stocking, but in which softwoods, except cypress, comprise 25 to 49 percent of the stocking. Common associates include gums, hickories , and yellow-poplar.
Maple-beech-birch forest map — Forests in which maple, beech , or yellow birch , singly or in combination, comprise a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include hemlock , elm , basswood , and white pine .
Aspen-birch forest map — Forests in which aspen, balsam poplar , paper birch , singly or in combination, comprise a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include maple and balsam fir .
Major Western Forest Cover Groups:
Douglas-fir forest map — Forests in which Douglas-fir comprises a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include western hemlock , western redcedar, the true firs, redwood , ponderosa pine , and larch .
Hemlock-Sitka spruce forest map —Forests in which western hemlock and/or Sitka spruce comprise a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include Douglas-fir , silver fir, and western redcedar.
Redwood forest map — Forests in which redwood comprises a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include Douglas-fir , grand fir, and tanoak.
Ponderosa pine forest map — Forest in which ponderosa pine comprises a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include Jeffery pine , sugar pine , limber pine, Arizona pine, Apache pine, Chihuahua pine, Douglas-fir , incense-cedar, and white fir .
Western white pine forest map — Forests in which western white pine comprises a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include other western redcedar, larch , white fir , Douglas-fir , lodgepole pine , and Engelmann spruce .
Lodgepole pine forest map — Forests in which lodgepole pine comprises a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include alpine fir, western white pine , Engelmann spruce , aspen, and larch .
Larch forest map — Forests in which western larch comprise a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include Douglas-fir , grand fir , western redcedar, and western white pine .
Fir-spruce forest map — Forests in which true firs, Engelmann spruce , or blue spruce, singly or in combination, comprise a plurality of the stocking. Common associates include mountain hemlock and lodgepole pine .
Western hardwoods forest map — Forests in which aspen, red alder, or other western hardwood, singly or in combination, comprise a plurality of the stocking.
