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Abstract
The spatial structure of vegetation influences the development of forest stands. Individual crop trees, which have either similar or dissimilar traits to their neighbors, are likely to be spatially dependent. In intensively managed plantations, the presence of competing vegetation has been shown to limit crop tree productivity, suggesting that the occurrence of undesired vegetation is also spatially dependent because it is competing for the same site resources. Silvicultural treatments applied throughout rotation systematically alter the spatial structure of forests to favor crop tree production, but any resultant competing vegetation growth is also influenced by changes in resource distribution. However, the spatial dependence of competing vegetation in intensively managed plantations is not well understood. A long-term regional study from the Southeastern United States which monitored the growth of intensively managed loblolly pine (
Pinus taeda), as well as competing vegetation, was used to characterize the spatial dependence of competing vegetation following operational, mid-rotation silvicultural treatments. Competing vegetation was found to be spatially autocorrelated but was not found to differ between silvicultural treatments. Negative spatial autocorrelation, especially for herbaceous vegetation, occurred in response to postthin stand dynamics. Characterizing the spatial dependence of competing vegetation improves site-specific decisions for loblolly pine plantation management.
Parent Publication
Citation
Young, John B.; Bullock, Bronson P.; Montes, Cristian R. 2024. Characterizing Spatial Dependencies of Competing Vegetation in Thinned Loblolly Pine Plantations. 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: 176–185. https://doi.org/10.2737/SRS-GTR-274-Pap29.
