scholarly journals Effect of Container Size at Time of Planting on Tree Growth Rates for Baldcypress [Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich], Red Maple (Acer rubrum L.), and Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris Mill.)

2010 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-99
Author(s):  
Belinda Lambert ◽  
Steven Harper ◽  
Stephen Robinson

The ecosystem restoration and wetland mitigation industries are challenged with recreating vegetative communities at an accelerated rate, while at the same time remaining cost effective. These created systems are typically bound by permit conditions to meet certain tree growth criteria in a specified time frame, commonly five years. Stock sizes of container grown trees are generally #1, #3, or #7 (gallons). The purpose of this study was to determine the relative cost effectiveness of these planting sizes for three commonly used species and to assess whether they achieve common success criteria for height, percent survival, and percent cover. These three species are baldcypress [Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich], red maple (Acer rubrum L.), and longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.). Based on the standard planting density of 174 trees/hectare, the most cost-effective size was #3 in all cases. All three sizes of baldcypress and red maple met the 3.7 m height criterion; no size of longleaf pine met the criterion. All sizes of all species failed to meet both the 85% survival standard and a theoretical minimum 50% cover calculated from canopy diameter measurements. If planting densities are increased to meet cover requirements and to offset mortality, container size #1 may be more favorable for baldcypress and red maple, but not for longleaf pine. The study was conducted in Pinellas County, Florida, U.S.

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiongwen Chen ◽  
Dale G. Brockway

The scaling relationship between height and diameter is important for understanding the dynamic patterns of tree growth and estimating the accrual of tree biomass. Metabolic ecology predicts that tree growth follows a universal scaling invariant relative to the height-diameter relationship (i.e., no variation based on taxonomy or resource availability). Comparing field data for different tree species across a range of site conditions should be an informative test of that prediction. Our results indicate that the scaling exponents of height and diameter for longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) vary at the four locations across its natural range. As for swamp trees, the scaling exponents for red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and river birch (Betula nigra L.) were consistent with that predicted by metabolic ecology; however, those for water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica L.) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich) were not. Our study confirms that high plasticity and variation in allometric scaling of the tree height and diameter relationship may very well be the rule, rather than the exception.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P McGuire ◽  
John S Kush ◽  
J Morgan Varner ◽  
Dwight K Lauer ◽  
J Ryan Mitchell

Abstract Efforts to restore longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) in the southeastern US require substantial artificial regeneration. Once established, important questions remain about when to introduce fire. We investigated the impact of initial planting density on tree branching and how prescribed fire might interact with tree architecture and survival. A particular focus was on how prescribed fires could “prune” lower branches. Lower density plantings (897 trees ha−1) had more and larger live lower branches than higher density plantings (2,243 trees ha−1). Fire was effective in pruning lower branches regardless of season burned, but fire in the growing season was more effective at pruning. Branches up to a height of 1.5 to 2 m were killed by fire. Fire applied in August caused greater damage with more needles scorched and/or consumed and more stem char. Prescribed fire did not impact longleaf pine tree survival. In general, fire applied to longleaf pine facilitated pruning lower branches that affect long-term wood quality, an additional argument for its utility in restoration and management of these ecosystems.


1982 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-39
Author(s):  
Richard W. Guldin

Abstract Planting longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) seedlings grown in containers is a biologically feasible and cost-effective regeneration method for sandhill sites. Considering the cost of replanting sites where regeneration efforts fail, using container-grown seedlings can result in a lower total regeneration cost. A method of analysis is outlined for specific sites.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-83
Author(s):  
H. Zhu ◽  
R.H. Zondag ◽  
J. Merrick ◽  
T. Demaline ◽  
C.R. Krause

Economical production of marketable container-grown ornamental shade trees with minimum amounts of nutrients in leachate requires careful management of fertilizer applications during a growing season. Sixteen fertilizer treatments were evaluated for their nutrient leaching potential in container-grown ‘Red Sunset’ red maple (Acer rubrum L.) production in a commercial nursery. Tests were conducted at two sites that were irrigated with either city or recycled pond water. Two slow-release granular fertilizers (18-5-12 and 12-0-42) were applied separately or together, by incorporation, top-dressed, or both, to trees grown in #7 containers and placed above or below ground. Trees irrigated with pond water also received supplemental liquid nutrients throughout the growing season along with nitric and phosphoric acids. Compared to either top-dressed or incorporation of fertilizer, incorporation of fertilizer combined with top-dressing doubled the amounts of nutrients applied but did not increase tree growth and caused greater nutrient leaching through the container substrate. Adding nitric and phosphoric acids to the supplemental liquid nutrients had little effect on lowering pH of the container substrate to the desired level. Trees irrigated with pond water had greater caliper growth than trees irrigated with city water, but this practice caused greater nutrient loss through the leachate and required additional nutrient inputs and labor throughout the growing season. Among the 16 fertilizer practices, the top-dressed fertilizer applications in the above- and below-ground containers were the most efficient method to produce fast tree growth with low nutrient leaching.


2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (No. 9) ◽  
pp. 395-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Keith Moser ◽  
Yu Chui Kwan

We examined the impacts of variation in overstory structure and burning regime on understory vegetation in the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forest of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Georgia, U.S.A. On sandy upland sites surrounding the Okefenokee Swamp and on islands, we established five randomly-located 0.04-ha plots within each of six study areas. The plots varied in overstory density, past management and fire regime. We measured overstory tree size of longleaf pines in the 0.04-ha plots and percent cover of ground cover species in five 1-m2 subplots nested within each 0.04-ha plot. We also calculated diversity indices for the ground cover species. There was no significant relationship between overstory basal area and any diversity measure. Even at the subplot level, there was no significant relationship observed between the diversity measures and distance to the nearest tree, presumably a surrogate for overstory density. The diameter (DBH) of the nearest tree exhibited a slight influence over the Shannon Index, and the nearest tree’s height was significantly related to evenness in each subplot. There were varied relationships between individual species and fire regime or nearest tree measurements. There was a definite, but statistically insignificant, trend of decreasing diversity with increasing years since the last burn. Height of the nearest tree positively influen­ced evenness, probably reflecting the influence of stochasticity and amount of needle deposition (influencing fire behavior) over a wide area. Within the generally equal fire-return interval across sites, individual fire-events and site-specific behavior apparently influence understory diversity. It is not surprising that the last burn would affect species richness, even more so than the number of growing-season burns, other studies support this observation. The presence of obligate seeding and (clonal) sprouting as dominants in the ground cover suggests that the fire-return interval is not regular. The cycling of fire-return intervals, even within the manage­ment-prescribed 2- to 4-year range, and the variation by microsite appear to provide sufficient variability of disturbance to create diversity in the ground-level cohort. Site-specific relationships between particular species and the nearest tree suggest that even a narrowly-prescribed fire management regime can provide sufficient diversity.


2019 ◽  
pp. 287-296
Author(s):  
Andres Susaeta ◽  
Peichen Gong ◽  
Damian Adams

This study analyzes the effects of adopting an adaptive harvest strategy in even-aged forest management under timber price uncertainty on the production of nontimber goods. We use the reservation price strategy (“harvest when the observed timber prices are higher than the reservation prices”) on a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stand and employ the Faustmann–Hartman model as a benchmark. We assume that a longleaf pine stand can be managed for timber production, water production, carbon sequestration, and pine straw raking, depending on the planting density. Our results indicate that the reservation price strategy leads to longer expected harvest age when planting density is high. The reservation price strategy does not lead to increases in water production and carbon sequestration with low planting density. With high planting density, the reservation price strategy leads to increases in the amount of in situ carbon sequestered by 14.4–24.7 Mg·ha–1. Our findings suggest that managing longleaf pine forests in good- or poor-quality sites is a profitable alternative and enables water production and carbon sequestration.


2020 ◽  
Vol 295 ◽  
pp. 108163
Author(s):  
Wenzhi Wang ◽  
Nate G. McDowell ◽  
Stephanie Pennington ◽  
Charlotte Grossiord ◽  
Riley T Leff ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-57
Author(s):  
Lauren M. Garcia Chance ◽  
Michael A. Arnold ◽  
Leonardo Lombardini ◽  
W. Todd Watson ◽  
Sean T. Carver ◽  
...  

Abstract With container-grown trees offered to the public in an increasing array of sizes, it is important to determine the effects of different sizes of container stock on transplant establishment. Clonal replicates of Vitex agnus-castus, Acer rubrum var. drummondii, and Taxodium distichum grown under common nursery conditions in five container sizes, 3.5, 11.7, 23.3, 97.8, or 175.0 L (#1, #3, #7, #25, or #45, respectively), were transplanted to a sandy clay loam field. Physiological stress was measured using xylem water potential and photosynthetic gas exchange rates. Height, trunk diameter, and canopy spread were monitored post-transplant for three growing seasons and root growth was sampled for the first two growing seasons. Trees of all three species from smaller-sized containers, 23.3 L (#7) or less, exhibited reduced transplant shock, decreased establishment time and increased growth rates in comparison to larger-sized containers, apart from increased mortality in 3.5 L (#1) A. rubrum and slower growth in 3.5 L (#1) T. distichum compared to those transplanted from 11.7 L (#3) or 23.3 L (#7) containers Reduced stress levels and increased growth rates corresponded in timing with greater change in root extension of smaller container-grown trees. At the end of three growing seasons, no statistical differences in height or trunk diameter were present for V. agnus-castus container sizes. With a modest wait, consumers may find that smaller container-grown trees will overcome transplant stress more quickly and exhibit growth rates that surpass those of larger container-grown trees. Index words: Acer rubrum, Taxodium distichum, Vitex agnus-castus, container-grown trees, transplant shock, transplant establishment, photosynthesis, transpiration, water stress. Species used in this study: Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus L. [an unnamed white flowering clone]); red maple (Acer rubrum L. var. dummondii [Hook. & Arn. ex Nutt.] Sarg. ‘Maroon'); bald cypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich. [test clone TX8DD38]).


HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 455B-455
Author(s):  
Robert R. Tripepi ◽  
Mary W. George

De-inked paper sludge from a newsprint mill was evaluated as a substitute for softwood bark in container media. Whips, 1.2 m tall, of `October Glory' red maple (Acer rubrum L.), European birch (Betula pendula Roth), and `Royalty' crabapple (Malus L.) were planted in 15-L plastic pots that contained potting media amended with 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, or 90% paper sludge and 80%, 60%, 40%, 20%, 0%, or 0%, respectively, bark (by volume). All media contained 10% sand. After 22 weeks, plant heights, trunk diameters, and shoot dry weights were determined. Initial pH of media increased as the amount of paper sludge in the media increased, with the 90% sludge mix having pH 7.2. Paper sludge had a low initial CEC. Physical properties of all sludge-amended media were suitable for tree growth, but media containing 80% or more paper sludge shrank in volume by 10% to 12% by the end of the study. All maple and crabapple trees grown in all sludge-amended media grew as well as those in 80% bark (control mix). In fact, maple and crabapples trees in 40% sludge produced at least 10% and 36% more total shoot biomass, respectively, than trees in 80% bark. Although birch trees grown in 40% or 60% paper sludge grew as well as control plants, those grown in 80% or more sludge were at least 11% shorter and produced 24% less total shoot biomass (leaves, stems, and trunk dry weight) than control trees. These results demonstrated that de-inked paper sludge was a worthy substitute for up to 40% of the bark in a container medium for the three species tested.


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