scholarly journals Transition from Fire-Dependent Open Forests: Alternative Ecosystem States in the Southeastern United States

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 411
Author(s):  
Brice B. Hanberry

Land use and fire exclusion have influenced ecosystems worldwide, resulting in alternative ecosystem states. Here, I provide two examples from the southeastern United States of fire-dependent open pine and pine-oak forest loss and examine dynamics of the replacement forests, given continued long-term declines in foundation longleaf (Pinus palustris) and shortleaf (Pinus echinata) pines and recent increases in commercial loblolly (Pinus taeda) and slash (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii) pines. Shortleaf pine-oak forest historically may have been dominant on about 32 to 38 million ha, a provisional estimate based on historical composition of 75% of all trees, and has decreased to about 2.5 million ha currently; shortleaf pine now is 3% of all trees in the northern province. Longleaf pine forest decreased from about 30 million ha, totaling 75% of all trees, to 1.3 million ha and 3% of all trees in contemporary forests of the southern province. The initial transition from open pine ecosystems to closed forests, primarily comprised of broadleaf species, was countered by conversion to loblolly and slash pine plantations. Loblolly pine now accounts for 37% of all trees. Loss of fire-dependent ecosystems and their foundation tree species affect associated biodiversity, or the species that succeed under fire disturbance.

1992 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 142-146
Author(s):  
David B. South

Abstract Tolerance to applications of prodiamine was examined in field experiments with loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm. var elliottii), longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.), shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.), and eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.)seedlings at nine southern nurseries in 1979 and at six nurseries in 1980. No significant injury was observed when 0.5 kg ai/ha (7.1 oz ai/ac) was applied after sowing (preemergence) or 4 to 6 wk after sowing (postemergence). When applied just after sowing at 1.0 kg ai/ha (13.3 oz. ai/ac),a reduction in emergence was observed with loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, and eastern white pine. Tolerance of various hardwoods was also examined. Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) was sensitive, and seedling production was reduced with both preemergence and early postemergence applications.Green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.), and two species of oaks (Quercus alba L. and Q. nigra L./Q. phellos L.) tolerated rates as high as 1.0 kg ai/ha. South. J. Appl. For. 16(3):142-146


1997 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-145
Author(s):  
David B. South

Abstract Tolerance of southern pines to preemergence applications of fomesafen was examined at eight nursery experiments in 1984. When sown on coarse textured soils, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm. var elliottii), longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.), and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) were tolerant to 0.5 kg ai/ha applied after sowing. However, a reduction in loblolly pine seedling production was observed with one test on a silt loam soil in Louisiana. The risk of injury from a preemergence application may be related to soil texture. Pine tolerance to a single postemergence treatment was tested at seven nurseries in 1985. No significant injury was observed when 0.5 kg ai/ha was applied 3 to 8 weeks after sowing loblolly pine or shortleaf pine, and no injury was observed on fall-sown eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.). When applied 1 or 2 months after sowing, loblolly pine appears tolerant to fomesafen even on silt loam soils. Injury has been observed from postemergence applications when a surfactant was used in combination with fomesafen. Preemergence applications of fomesafen are now an operational practice at several southern pine nurseries. South. J. Appl. For. 21(3):143-145.


ISRN Ecology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
D. Paul Jackson ◽  
Scott A. Enebak ◽  
David B. South

Cold storing bareroot southern pine (Pinus spp.) seedlings for greater than one week after lifting in the fall can lead to poor outplanting survival when compared to seedlings that are lifted and stored in winter. In contrast, container-grown seedlings typically do not experience adverse effects from storing for periods greater than one week. The practice of lifting bareroot seedlings can cause wounds to root systems, which could allow soil-borne pathogens such as Pythium species to be used as infection sites. Once seedlings are placed in storage, the cool, moist environment may be conducive for zoospore activity, leading to root disease and outplanting failure. Bareroot and container-grown longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), and slash pine (Pinus elliottii) and container-grown shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) were inoculated with either Pythium dimorphum or Pythium irregulare, cold-stored for 3, 4, 6, or 12 weeks, and outplanted. Both Pythium species reduced survival of bareroot longleaf pine but not bareroot slash pine. Length of storage decreased survival for both seedling stock types. Pythium species did not affect the survival of container-grown seedlings. These results suggest that P. dimorphum and P. irregulare are more virulent to bareroot longleaf pine than the other pine species tested.


Weed Science ◽  
1973 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 363-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. R. Dill ◽  
M. C. Carter

Weed control trials were conducted on loblolly pine (Pinus taedaL.) or slash pine (Pinus elliottiiEngelm.) seedbeds at 12 locations in the southeastern United States. Good weed control was obtained from 2,4-bis-(isopropylamino)-6-(methylthio)-s-triazine (prometryne) at 2.2 and 4.5 kg/ha;N,N-dimethyl-2,2-diphenylacetamide (diphenamid) at 4.5 and 9 kg/ha; α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine (trifluralin) at 1.1 and 2.2 kg/ha; and 2-ethylthio-4,6-bis-isopropylamino-s-triazine (GS-16068) at 2.2 and 4.5 kg/ha as preemergence applications immediately followed by irrigation. Diphenamid and trifluralin treatments were not injurious to either pine species at either rate. GS-16068 was only slightly injurious at the high rate at one location. Prometryne was injurious at two locations at the high rate and at one location at the low rate.


1989 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert S. Hansen ◽  
M. Victor Bilan

Abstract Age accounted for over 70% of the variation in tree height of 10- to 44-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and slash (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) plantations established on deep sands, moderate sands, and nonsandy soils in the Northern Post-Oak Belt of Texas. Climatic and edaphicfactors, relating either directly or indirectly to the amount of moisture available for tree use, explained up to 17% of height growth variation. Height growth of the plantations was comparable to that of plantations growing in the pine-mixed hardwood forest cover type of East Texas. The NorthernPost-Oak Belt of Texas is an area approximately 50 to 100 miles wide located between the pine-mixed hard-wood forest type to the east and the black-land prairie to the west. Soils within the belt belong primarily to the Alfisol or Ultisol soil orders. The western-most areas of the belt receiveup to 20% less annual rain fall than the pine-mixed hardwood type of East Texas (U.S. Environmental Data and Information Service 1949-1982). The present forest of this area is dominated by post oak (Quercus stellata Wang.), black-jack oak (Quercus Marilandica Muench.), bluejack oak (Quercusincana Bartr.), and black hickory (Carya texana Buckl.) (Ward 1984). Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) occur naturally only in scattered locations (Wilson and Hacker 1986). South. j. Appl. For. 13(1):5-8.


Holzforschung ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.S. Kelley ◽  
T.G. Rials ◽  
L.R. Groom ◽  
C.-L. So

Abstract The visible and near infrared (NIR) (500–2400 nm) spectra and mechanical properties of almost 1000 small clearwood samples from six softwood species: Pinus taeda L. (loblolly pine), Pinus palustris, Mill. (longleaf pine), Pinus elliottii Engelm. (slash pine), Pinus echinata Mill. (shortleaf pine), Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws (ponderosa pine), and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco (Douglas fir) were measured. Projection to Latent Structures (PLS) modeling showed that the NIR spectra of these softwoods could be used to predict the mechanical properties of the clear-wood samples. The correlation coefficients for most of these models were greater than 0.80. All six softwood species were combined into one data set and a PLS model was constructed that effectively predicted the strength properties of any of the individual softwoods. Reducing the spectral range to between 650 and 1050 nm only causes a slight decrease in the quality of the models. Using this narrow spectral range enables the use of smaller, faster, lighter, less expensive spectrometers that could be used either in the field or for process control applications.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 935
Author(s):  
Mohammad Bataineh ◽  
Ethan Childs

The need for a comprehensive and mechanistic understanding of competition has never been more important as plants adapt to a changing environment and as forest management evolves to focus on maintaining and enhancing complexity. With the recent decline in shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) land area, it is critical to determine the effects of competition on shortleaf pine and its performance against loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), the preferred planted replacement. We evaluate differences in shortleaf and loblolly pine 10 year mean basal area increment (BAI) and crown dimensions across a gradient of neighborhoods. Linear mixed-effects regression models were developed using BAI and several crown metrics as responses and crowding, competitor species abundance and identity, and initial size and species identity of focal tree as predictors. Crowding of focal trees negatively impacted BAI and crown size (p < 0.001, respectively). Although loblolly pine had three times higher BAI as compared to shortleaf pine within similar neighborhoods, BAI was variable, and the crowding effect did not differ between shortleaf and loblolly pine (p ranged from 0.51–0.99). Competitive impacts on focal trees did not differ by competitor identity (p ranged from 0.07–0.70). Distance-independent competition indices better explained the variation in BAI and horizontal crown metrics, while distance-dependent size ratios were more effective at evaluating vertical crown metrics. These findings highlight shortleaf pine competitive potential in mature, natural-origin stands and provide support for the restoration of pine–hardwood and hardwood–pine stratified mixtures as well as management of shortleaf pine at long rotations.


2012 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andres Susaeta ◽  
Pankaj Lal ◽  
Janaki Alavalapati ◽  
Evan Mercer ◽  
Douglas Carter

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin M Robertson ◽  
Sharon M Hermann ◽  
Eric L Staller

Abstract Frequently burned old field shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata)–loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) woodlands in the southeastern US provide important wildlife habitat and multiple ecosystem services. Because these communities differ in composition of dominant plant species and have different land use legacies than native pine savannas, the ability to prevent encroachment by off-site broadleaf woody tree species using fire alone is in question. We use a long-term fire experiment to demonstrate that old field pine communities have been prevented from transitioning to hardwood forests for over 50 years through judicious application of prescribed fire applied at 1–2 year intervals, whereas communities with three-year fire intervals show signs of transitioning to hardwood forest. We emphasize tailoring fire regimes to particular contexts of land use history to achieve the most historic and sustainable ecosystem structure and function possible for conservation of native flora and fauna. Study Implications: Demonstrating the ability to maintain natural forest structure of old field loblolly pine–shortleaf pine communities in the southeastern US using frequent prescribed fire has implications for the future sustainability of hundreds of thousands of hectares of such land used to provide critical habitat for many species of imperiled and culturally valued wildlife. It also provides insight into restoration of longleaf pine communities on postagricultural land as promoted by multiple highly funded government initiatives. Frequently burned pine savannas and woodlands are resilient to wildfire and sustain natural hydrological cycles, both important for mitigating the effects of global climate change.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-111
Author(s):  
Timothy L. Widmer ◽  
Stephen C. Dodge

Phytophthora pinifolia caused a devastating disease on Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) in Chile. This pathogen has not been reported in the United States, but there is concern should it arrive. There is little information regarding other hosts besides Monterey pine that may be susceptible to this pathogen. In the present study, other potential hosts within the Pinaceae and Cupressaceae were inoculated with zoospores of P. pinifolia and observed for symptoms and infection after 4 weeks. Similar to Monterey pine, knobcone (Pinus attenuata), bishop (P. muricata), and ponderosa (P. ponderosa) pines were highly infectious, whereas several important species such as loblolly pine (P. taeda) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) showed no infection. P. pinifolia was also not recovered from slash (Pinus elliottii) and eastern white (P. strobus) pines. This study is important because it demonstrates other economically important tree hosts are at risk by P. pinifolia, should it enter the United States.


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