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Abstract
Shortleaf pine (
Pinus echinata)-hardwood restoration continues to be a management goal throughout the interior South. Cluster or group planting involves placing groups of tightly spaced trees on favorable microsites or easily accessible areas in clearcut or partially harvested stands. Management operations for cluster planting may be focused on smaller areas reducing costs and easing access for areas with difficult topography. The objective of this study was to investigate site preparation methods to establish shortleaf pine using cluster planting in an upland mixed hardwood stand that had received a two-aged deferment harvest. The study area was located in Dade County, GA, near the summit of Sand Mountain. Four treatments were installed as three replications on 60-foot by 60-foot experimental units. All site preparation treatments included felling of understory hardwoods during late summer 2021. Treatments included (1) fell only (control); (2) fell and burn; (3) fell, herbicide, and burn; and (4) fell and herbicide. Bareroot, 1-0 stock shortleaf pine seedlings were planted during December 2021 at a 5-foot by 5-foot spacing. First-year results indicated better survival for treatments that included burning and ranged from 43.6 to 69.5 percent. Growth was greatest with the most intense treatment (fell-herbicide-burn). Naturally regenerating oak species (
Quercus spp.) and other desirable hardwoods and natural shortleaf pine did not differ in stem densities across treatments, while red maple (
Acer rubrum) and gums (
Nyssa sylvatica and
Liquidambar styraciflua) were plentiful in the least intensive treatments. Future release treatments will be needed to promote shortleaf pine and improve hardwood species composition.
Parent Publication
Citation
Clabo, David; Hinson, Michael. 2024. Site Preparation for Shortleaf Pine Cluster Planting and Restoration of Shortleaf Pine-Hardwood Mixtures: First Year Results. In: Bragg, Don C.; Oswald, Brian P.; Koerth, Nancy E., eds. Proceedings of the 22nd biennial southern silvicultural research conference. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-274. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 128–134. https://doi.org/10.2737/SRS-GTR-274-Pap22.
