Growth response of loblolly pine, sweetgum, and water oak in a pine-hardwood density study

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 968-978 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenn Glover ◽  
Harold Quicke

A study was established with loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) planted at 1683 trees/ha competing with sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.), water oak (Quercus nigra L.), or loblolly pine at densities of 0, 1794, 2692, and 5382 trees/ha. The study is a split-split plot with three blocks. Main plots are the three competitor species; subplots are with or without 2 years of herbaceous vegetation control (HVC); and sub-subplots are competitor densities. The study was measured at 6 years after establishment. Pines in pure plots responded to HVC with a mean basal area gain of 1.8 m2/ha (13%). With HVC, basal area increased 2.7 m2/ha (70%) for sweetgum and 2.3 m2/ha (58%) for water oak. Pines in mixed plots did not respond, or responded negatively, to HVC. Pine height, basal area, volume index, and canopy projection were only slightly affected by sweetgum density above zero. Pine characteristics decreased as water oak density increased. Adding sweetgum or water oak to pine reduced total (pine + hardwood) volume index and basal area.

1991 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-27
Author(s):  
Terry R. Clason

Abstract A hardwood suppression treatment applied to a 7-year-old, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation enhanced projected productivity through a 35-year rotation that included three commercial thinnings. By age 22, growth data showed that hardwood removal treatments had larger pines and smaller hardwoods than check treatments. Fifteen-year pine basal area and merchantable volume growth on hardwood removal plots exceeded the check plots by 25 and 27%. Projected growth between ages 22 and 35 indicated that 28 years after early hardwood removal thinned plantation merchantable volume yields improved by 840 ft³ per acre. South. J. Appl. For. 15(1):22-27.


1988 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 275-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald H. Marx ◽  
Charles E. Cordell ◽  
Alexander Clark

Abstract Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L) seedlings with different initial amounts of Pisolithus tinctorius (Pt) ectomycorrhizae (Pt index 0, 27, 46, 68, or 88) were planted on a good-quality site (site index 90 ft at age 50) in southwest Georgia. After 8 years and crown closure, trees with Pt indices of 88 and 68 had significantly better survival and greater heights, diameters, volumes, and green weights per tree and per ac than nursery-run, control seedlings (Pt index 0). Volume and weight yields per ac were over 50% greater and volume and weight yields per tree were over 20% greater for trees in the Pt index 88 treatment than they were for control trees. A special statistical analysis indicated that average per ac volume was positively correlated with initial Pt index values larger than 58. Tree-ring analyses showed that trees with a Pt index of 88 had significantly greater annual basal area growth than controls during growing seasons with water deficits of 8 to 13 in. Annual growth did not differ when water deficits were greater or less than these amounts. After 8 years, Pt basidiocarps were present throughout the study site. Mycorrhizal treatment integrity may have been lost after 3 or 4 years. South. J. Appl. For. 12(4):275-280


1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 960-967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold Quicke ◽  
Glenn Glover ◽  
Ralph S Meldahl

Growth of Pinus taeda L., with and without control of competing herbaceous vegetation, was evaluated over 15 years at planting densities ranging from 747 to 2990 trees/ha. A height response to vegetation control of 0.9 m at age 5 decreased to 0.3 m at age 15. Convergence in the cumulative height between treated and untreated stands did not translate into converging basal area and volume yield. For 1500 and 2200 trees/ha, volume response to early vegetation control increased to age 15. For 800 trees/ha volume gains increased to age 12 and were stable between ages 12 and 15. Higher densities apparently captured more of the site resources made available through vegetation control. Age-15 volume gains for 2200, 1500, and 800 trees/ha were 71 (23%), 48 (17%), and 19 m3·ha-1 (8%), respectively. A separate adjustment term in height and basal-area models captured the short-term positive effect of vegetation control on height growth and longer term basal-area responses. Previously published height and basal-area models were modified to account for planting-density effects.


1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur E. Wiselogel ◽  
James K. Bailey ◽  
Ronald J. Newton ◽  
Franklin Fong

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 1344-1351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hubert Sterba ◽  
Ralph L Amateis

Crown efficiency was first defined by Assmann (1961. Waldertragskunde. BLV, München) as individual tree volume increment per unit of crown projection area. He hypothesized that within a given crown class, smaller crowns are more efficient because their ratio between crown surface and horizontal crown projection is higher. Data from a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) spacing experiment were used to test if this hypothesis also holds in young loblolly pine stands and, if so, to determine if it explains the increment differences between spacings in the spacing experiment. Using individual tree height relative to plot dominant height to describe crown class, within-plot regression showed that crown efficiency decreased with crown size for trees below dominant height. This relationship was much less pronounced than indicated from Assmann's examples, although the crown surface to crown projection ratio behaved in the same way as Assmann had hypothesized. Crown efficiency as well as the crown surface to crown projection area ratio decreased with increasing density. Basal area increment per hectare increased until total crown closure approached 130% and then stayed constant. This major impact of total crown coverage brings into question the usefullness of crown efficiency as an indicator for unit area growth.


1988 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles R. Blinn ◽  
Al Lyons ◽  
Edward R. Buckner

Abstract Color aerial photography was used to assess crown color classes in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations. Three distinct Munsell color classes were delineated on the resulting photographs. Foliar N levels and, to a lesser degree, foliar K levels were directly related to color. Significant relationships between color and site index and color and basal area were shown. Application of color aerial photography, combined with Munsell color coding, could expedite land classification and also make possible more efficient use of fertilizers. South J. Appl. For. 12(4):270-273.


2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.S. Rahman ◽  
M.G. Messina ◽  
R.F. Fisher

Abstract We investigated if intensive forest management could enhance loblolly pine seedling growth and survival on West Gulf flatwoods where winter and spring waterlogging and frequent summer drought limit loblolly pine performance. Fertilization, chemical vegetation control, and mechanical site preparation (combined bedding and ripping) were tested in different combinations on six sites established in southern Arkansas in early 1999. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedling performance was monitored in the first two growing seasons (1999 and 2000) and fifth growing season (2003) after planting. Fertilization increased growth in all years. Mechanical site preparation affected only height and only until year 2. There was no effect of chemical vegetation control in any measurement year, although chemical vegetation control resulted in greater growth in combination with fertilization than did either treatment applied separately. Tree survival averaged 92% a few months after planting and then decreased significantly at year 1 (77%), and remained comparable until year 5, the last year data were collected. Tree survival was not affected by mechanical site preparation, fertilization, or chemical vegetation control. Intensive forest management can increase loblolly pine seedling growth and survival on poorly drained sites in the West Gulf.


1992 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven A. Knowe

Abstract Prediction equations were developed for basal area and percentiles of diameter distributions to account for the hardwood component in site-prepared, Piedmont and Upper Coastal Plain loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations. Unlike existing stand-level simulation models that incorporate hardwood competition, the new equations resulted in constant total basal area regardless of the amount of hardwood competition and permitted the variance of the diameter distribution to increase with increasing proportion of hardwoods. The equations presented can be used with existing dominant height, survival, and volume equations as a tool for assessing the impact of hardwoods on loblolly pine yield. South. J. Appl. For. 16(2):93-98.


1983 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Murphy ◽  
Robert M. Farrar

Abstract Equations are given to estimate current and projected sawtimber volumes and projected basal area of the sawtimber portion of uneven-aged loblolly-shortleaf (Pinus taeda L.-Pinus echinata Mill.) pine stands managed under the selection system. The independent variables are elapsed time, initial merchantable basal area, and the initial ratio of sawtimber basal area to merchantable basal area. The results should provide guidelines for the board-foot and cubic-foot production of sawtimber-sized trees in uneven-aged stands that occur on average sites (site index 90, loblolly pine) in the Coastal Plain.


1994 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 128-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Murphy ◽  
Michael G. Shelton

Abstract The effects of three levels of residual basal area (40, 60, and 80 ft2/ac), maximum dbh (12, 16, and 20 in.) and site index (< 81 ft, 81 to 90 ft, and >90 ft) on the growth of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands after 5 yr of uneven-aged silviculture were determined from plots located in south Arkansas and north Louisiana. Designated levels of basal area and maximum dbh were achieved by harvesting; a q factor of 1.2 (using 1 in. dbh classes) was imposed on all plots as closely as possible. Stand-level models were developed for annual per acre net volume growth (merchantable cubic feet, sawtimber cubic feet, and sawtimber board feet, Doyle rule) and annual per acre survivor growth, ingrowth, and mortality components of basal area growth. Growth for all volume measures increased with an increase in basal area. Site index did not significantly affect merchantable cubic-foot growth but had a positive effect on sawtimber growth in both cubic feet and board feet, Doyle. Increases in maximum dbh decreased merchantable and sawtimber cubic-foot growth but increased growth for board-foot volume, Doyle. South. J. Appl. For. 18(3): 128-132.


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