Site preparation effects on soil bulk density and pine seedling growth

Abstract

Soil bulk density was sampled the first and third growing seasons after site preparation and pine planting on three clearcut pine-hardwood forest sites in eastern Texas. Bulk density was measured 10 cm below the surface of mineral soil using a surface moisture-density probe. Plots that had been KG-bladed and chopped had significanlty higher bulk density than those that were burned or left untreated. After 5 years the survival, height, and diameter growth of pines averaged highest on hte mechanically treated plots, probably because competition from other woody stems was much less than in the untreated and burned plots.

Citation

Stransky, John J. 1981. Site preparation effects on soil bulk density and pine seedling growth. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 5(4): 176-179