scholarly journals Pine Straw Raking and Growth of Southern Pine: Review and Recommendations

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 799
Author(s):  
David Dickens ◽  
Lawrence Morris ◽  
David Clabo ◽  
Lee Ogden
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Growth Parameters ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Southern Pine ◽  
Old Field ◽  
Stand Growth ◽  
Private Landowner ◽  
Pine Straw

Pine straw, the uppermost forest floor layer of undecayed, reddish-brown pine needles, is raked, baled, and sold as a landscaping mulch throughout the southeastern United States. Loblolly (Pinus taeda, L.), longleaf (P. palustris, Mill.), and slash (P. elliottii Engelm. var. elliottii) pine are the three southern pine species commonly raked for pine straw. The value of pine straw as a forest product is large. Private landowner pine straw revenues have steadily increased throughout the southeastern United States over the past two decades and now total more than USD 200 million. Information is limited on the short- or long-term effects of pine straw removal on foliage production or stand growth in southern pine stands. Results from most published studies suggest that annual pine straw raking without fertilization on non-old-field sites reduces straw yields compared to no raking. Old-field sites often do not benefit from fertilization with increased pine straw or wood volume yields. Though fertilization may be beneficial for pine straw production on some sites, understory vegetation presence and disease prevalence may increase following fertilization. This review addresses pine straw removal effects on pine straw production and stand growth parameters based on recent studies and provides fertilization recommendations to maintain or improve pine straw production and stand growth and yield.

scholarly journals Rate and Timing Effects of Growth Regulating Herbicides Applications on Grain Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Growth and Yield

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Thierry E. Besançon ◽  
Ranjit Riar ◽  
Ronnie W. Heiniger ◽  
Randy Weisz ◽  
Wesley J. Everman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Yield Reduction ◽  
Timing Effects

Dicamba and 2,4-D are among the most common and inexpensive herbicides used to control broadleaf weeds. However, different studies have pointed the risk of crop injury and grain sorghum yield reduction with postemergence applications of 2,4-D. No research data on grain sorghum response to 2,4-D or dicamba exists in the Southeastern United States. Consequently, a study was conducted to investigate crop growth and yield response to 2,4-D (100, 220, and 330 g acid equivalent ha−1) and dicamba (280 g acid equivalent ha−1) applied on 20 to 65 cm tall sorghum. Greater stunting resulted from 2,4-D applied at 330 g acid equivalent ha−1or below 45 cm tall sorghum whereas lodging prevailed with 2,4-D at 330 g acid equivalent ha−1and dicamba applied beyond 35 cm tall crop. Regardless of local environmental conditions, 2,4-D applied up to 35 cm tall did not negatively impact grain yield. There was a trend for yields to be somewhat lower when 2,4-D was applied on 45 or 55 cm tall sorghum whereas application on 65 cm tall sorghum systematically decreased yields. More caution should be taken with dicamba since yield reduction has been reported as early as applications made on 35 cm tall sorghum for a potentially dicamba sensitive cultivar.

scholarly journals A Growth and Yield Model for Eucalyptus benthamii in the Southeastern United States

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin B Hall ◽  
Jl Stape ◽  
Bronson P Bullock ◽  
Doug Frederick ◽  
Jeff Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cold Tolerance ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Good Growth ◽  
Yield Model ◽  
Dominant Height ◽  
Growth And Yield Model ◽  
Rotation Age

Abstract In recent Eucalyptus cold-tolerance trials, E. benthamii has shown good growth rates as well as cold tolerance for USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 8 and 9. This study developed growth and yield models for E. benthamii in the southeastern United States. A network of 182 temporary sample plots of E. benthamii ranging in age from 1.5 to 13.3 years was established, and inventory data were collected. Site quality was determined by fitting a polymorphic site index curve, whereas a function for stand basal area based on age, dominant height, and site occupancy was fitted. Stand-level volume and dry-weight biomass prediction equations were fitted as a function of dominant height and basal area. Based on the growth and yield model results, mean annual increments ranged from 26.4 m3 ha–1 year–1 at rotation age 6 years on the best sites to 13.7 m3 ha–1 year–1 at rotation age 10 years on the poorest sites. This is the first published set of management-oriented models for land managers considering planting E. benthamii in the southeastern United States.

scholarly journals Landowner and Manager Awareness and Perceptions of Pine Health Issues and Southern Pine Management Activities in the Southeastern United States

2016 ◽  
Vol 114 (5) ◽  
pp. 541-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R Coyle ◽  
Gary T Green ◽  
Brittany F Barnes ◽  
Kier D Klepzig ◽  
John T Nowak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Southern Pine

Predicting litter and live herb fuel consumption during prescribed fires in native and old-field upland pine communities of the southeastern United States

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (8) ◽  
pp. 1611-1622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela M. Reid ◽  
Kevin M. Robertson ◽  
Tracy L. Hmielowski
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Fuel Consumption ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Pinus Palustris ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Fuel Load ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Old Field ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Fuel Loads

The ability to predict fuel consumption during fires is essential for a wide range of applications, including estimation of fire effects and fire emissions. This project identified predictors of fuel consumption for the dominant fuel bed components (litter (<0.6-cm diameter dead material) and live herbs) during 217 prescribed fires in native longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris Mill.) and old-field loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) – shortleaf pine ( Pinus echinata Mill.) communities in the southeastern United States. Additionally, these data were used to validate the First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM) fuel consumption computer model using custom and default fuel loads. Regression models using empirical data suggested that litter and live herb fuel consumption can be predicted by prefire litter and live herb fuel loads, litter and live herb fuel moisture, litter fuel bed bulk density, season of burn, years since fire, days since last rain ≥0.64 cm, relative humidity, energy release component, community type, pine and hardwood basal areas, and the Keetch–Byram drought index. FOFEM’s prediction of fuel consumption for litter, live herbs, and duff combined using default fuel loads was 1.5 times the measured fuel consumption (where duff fuel load was zero). Refinement of FOFEM’s fuel load and consumption calculations in the studied community types using the newly collected data and suggestions for model improvement would provide more accurate air quality inventories and assist in guiding appropriate regulation of prescribed fire.

Price Premium Requirements for Growing Higher Quality Pine Sawtimber in Even-Aged Systems in the Southeastern United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun Regmi ◽  
Donald L Grebner ◽  
John L Willis ◽  
Robert K Grala
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Price Premium ◽  
Primary Forest ◽  
Shortleaf Pine ◽  
Price Premiums ◽  
Optimal Rotation ◽  
Premium Price ◽  
Final Harvest

Abstract Intensive pine silviculture has become the dominant management paradigm in the southeastern United States. Although productivity has been substantially increased by the combination of cultural, silvicultural, and genetic advancements, wood quality is sometimes sacrificed in intensive silviculture. Extending the optimal rotation allows trees to grow more timber, which may result in the production of better quality sawtimber; however, landowners may require incentives to do so. We simulated loblolly, slash, shortleaf, and longleaf pine for growth and yield using the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) to determine sawtimber price premiums landowners would require to offset the costs associated with delaying the final harvest by 10 to 30 years in even-aged systems. Required incentives increased with the length of harvesting delay beyond the financially optimal rotation age. On medium productivity sites, landowners would be willing to delay the final harvest by 10 years for sawtimber price premiums of $5.06/ton (20.47%) for loblolly, $5.34/ton (21.6%) for slash, $4.56/ton (18.45%) for longleaf, and $6.71/ton (27.14%) shortleaf pine, respectively. Harvest delays of 10 to 20 years were financially justifiable, whereas extensions exceeding 30 years were prohibitively costly for all species. Delaying the optimal harvest could benefit landowners by generating a premium price for their sawtimber while providing important ecosystem services. Study Implications The study findings will provide a baseline resource for forest landowners and managers who are interested in growing higher-quality and larger-diameter pine sawtimber to longer rotation ages to obtain a premium price. The results will also be helpful to primary forest product industries (e.g., sawmills) who prefer high-quality pine sawtimber and are considering offering a price premium for higher-quality pine sawtimber. Findings can be useful for those interested in managing forests for multiple benefits (e.g., timber production, wildlife hunting leases, carbon credits, and other ecosystem service incentives), as managing stands on longer rotations can provide the dual opportunities of receiving price premiums for higher-quality sawtimber while simultaneously generating revenue from nontimber benefits, which may help justify delaying the final harvest. Our findings can also help make policymakers and forest managers more aware of the minimum price premiums required to offset the revenue loss accrued by delaying the final harvest.

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