Production of understory vegetation was measured on undisturbed areas and on areas having logging and timber stand improvement during the past 10 years on National Forest lands in southern Missouri. There was an increase in vegetative production following logging and stand improvement, es- pecially in the pine (Pinus echinata) forest type. Increases were not, however, as great as anticipated. The type of timber management practiced in the Ozarks during the past 10 years has created small open- ings which did not appreciably reduce the overall crown cover or basal area; thus, forage production on the area as a whole was not greatly increased. More intensive removal of overstory is recommended to obtain maximum increases in forage. This study provided the first quantitative measurements of forage production follow- ing timber harvest or timber stand improve- ment (TSI) in the Missouri Ozarks. The Missouri Conservation Commission and the Central States Forest Experiment Station (U. S. Forest Service) cooperated on a sur- vey of forage resources. Production of for- age for wildlife and livestock on Forest Service land in the Missouri Ozarks was measured and related to forest conditions and physiographic factors. Only that por- tion of the survey relating forage produc- tion to timber harvest and TSI will be con- sidered in this report. The authors acknowledge the coopera- tion and support received from personnel of the Missouri and Shawnee National For- ests. Special credit is due Roger Kirkman who supervised the field crews. TIMBER RESOURCE AND MANAGEMENT Logging of Missouri's virgin forests be- gan about 1870 and reached a peak about 1900. By 1928, most of the virgin hardwood stands had been harvested. Unsuccessful attempts to farm the cleared land followed the decline of timber harvest. Unstable ownership, fire, grazing, and frequent cut- ting-over of scattered good trees completed deterioration of the forest resource. The remaining stands are in very poor condi- tion. Over 50 percent of the standing trees are classified as culls which should be re- moved from the stand (Mendel 1961:15). Until recently, timber management has consisted mainly of fire protection, salvag- ing merchantable timber, and using the funds from the timber sales for timber stand improvement by girdling of cull trees. Since pine has a shorter rotation period and a better market than oak (Quercus spp.), suitable sites are being converted to pine, especially in the eastern Ozarks. Previous studies in Missouri indicated that timber harvest and TSI will increase abundance of understory plants; however, those studies measured only frequency of occurrence and did not measure quantities of forage produced. Martin et al. (1955) reported an increase in abundance of for- age during the 3-year period following a timber sale in the white oak (Q. alba) for- est type. All classes of forage (grass, forbs, and browse) increased, but the greatest in- crease was in grasses. Baskett et al. (1957) reported increased forage abundance following girdling of cull