Does Restoring Woodland Structure with Loblolly or Slash Pine Produce Desired Ecosystem Functions?

Abstract

Restoring fire-maintained woodlands (forests with a noncontiguous canopy and herbaceous understory) has been a priority in the Southeastern United States for 4 decades. One of the major perceived challenges to restoration is the increased presence of loblolly (Pinus taeda) and slash (P. elliottii) pines, which have been widely planted throughout the region. Land managers have traditionally addressed this problem by clearcutting loblolly and slash pines and planting longleaf (P. palustris) or shortleaf (P. echinata) pines that had been historically prevalent on their respective sites prior to Euro-American settlement (Frost 1993, Mohr and Roth 1897). While effective at quickly converting overstory species composition, this approach requires many decades to produce a mature, pine-dominated woodland; meanwhile, many of the desired structural and functional attributes of older, open forests remain absent from stands across the landscape.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the 22nd Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference

Citation

Willis, John L.; Bragg, Don C.; Cannon, Jeffrey B.; Gandhi, Kamal J.K.; Kidd, Kathryn R.; Polinko, Adam D.; Puhlick, Joshua J.; Saenz, Dan; Sayer, Mary Anne; Schalk, Christopher M.; Self, Andrew B.; Siegert, Courtney M.; Varner, J. Morgan. 2024. Does Restoring Woodland Structure with Loblolly or Slash Pine Produce Desired Ecosystem Functions? 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: 268–270. https://doi.org/10.2737/SRS-GTR-274-Pap40.