Effect of Intensive Forest Management Practices on Wood Properties and Pulp Yield of Young, Fast Growing Southern Pine

Abstract

The demand for southern pine fiber is increasing. However, the land resources to produce wood fiber are decreasing. The wood industry is now using intensive cultural treatments, such as competition control, fertilization, and short rotations, to increase fiber production. The impact of these intensive environmental treatments on increased growth is positive and significant, but their effects on wood properties, pulp yields, and paper properties is not well known. This paper presents research on the effect of planting density and herbaceous competition control of 14 year loblolly pine in the Piedmont and herbaceous competition control and fertilization of 17 year slash pine in the Coastal Plain on wood properties and pulp yield. Thirty-two tiees of small sawlog size were harvested from each treatment and processed into lumber and residual chips using a chipping saw (CNS). Trees were also harvested from a 24 year operational loblolly plantation in the Piedmont and 24 year slash pine plantation in the Coastal Plain as controls. Specific gravity, moisture content, percent latewood, chip size and fiber length were analyzed for each treatment. The CNS chips were processed into pulp at 90 Kappa for linerboard and 60 Kappa for sack paper, and pulp yields are reported.

Citation

Faust, Timothy D.; Clark, Alexander, III; Courchene, Charles E.; Shiver, Barry D.; Belli, Monique L. 1999. Effect of Intensive Forest Management Practices on Wood Properties and Pulp Yield of Young, Fast Growing Southern Pine. TAPPI International Enviromental Conference Proceedings, April 18-21, 1999, Nashville, Tenn. Vol. 2, pgs. 501-512