Lower Rock GMU

Below are statistics, charts and general information on the Lower Rock GMU. All chart and map links open in a separate window.

About 2/3 of the Lower Rock GMU lies within Dane and Rock counties. This is a highly agricultural and urbanized management unit.

Forest acreage

The area of timberland in the Lower Rock GMU has increased by about 32,400 acres or 32% in the last decade. The most recent survey (2001-2205) indicates that productive forestland makes up about 118,000 acres or 10% of the total land area of the GMU.
View bar chart: Timberland acreage in the Lower Rock GMU

Forest types

Oak-dominated forest types (mainly white oak/red oak/hickory, post oak/blackjack oak, white oak, and northern red oak) account for 39% of timberland acreage in the Lower Rock GMU and bottomland types, such as sugarberry/hackberry/elm/green ash, and black ash/American elm/red maple, make up another 18%.
View bar chart: The most important forest types in the Lower Rock GMU

Growing stock volume

Total growing stock volume in the Lower Rock GMU is 129 million cubic feet. White oak makes up the highest percentage of volume (15%) and bur oak is second at 13%. All oaks together account for 35% of volume.

Ratio of growth to removals

Net annual growth (8.5 million cubic feet) was over 10 times higher than net annual removals (0.7 million cubic feet) in the Lower Rock GMU.

Habitat type

Almost 60% of the timberland in the Lower Rock GMU is classifed as either dry mesic-mesic or mesic. Another 17% is classified as lowland. Nearly ¼ could not be classified due to forestland fragmentation and human impacts.
View pie chart: Major habitat types in the Lower Rock GMU

Timberland ownership

The Lower Rock GMU has the highest percentage of timberland under state ownership (28%) of all management units.
View pie chart: Ownership of Timberland in the Lower Rock GMU