Forage production after thinning a natural loblolly pine-hardwoocl stand to clifferent basal areas

Abstract

Mixed pine (Pinus spp.)-hardwood forests are common in the southern United States (U.S.), but little quantitative information exists on the response of understory forage to reductions in basal area from thinning. We determined understory forage characteristics before thinning and 2 and 4 years after thinning a 35-year-old natural loblolly pine (P. taeda)-hardwood stand (initially 27 m²/ha of pine and 8 m²/ha of hardwood basal area). A combination of 3 loblolly pine (15, 18, and 21 m²/ha) and 3 hardwood (0, 3.5, and 7 m²/ha) basal area was replicated 3 times, resulting in 27 0.08-ha plots. Understory coverage and forage biomass were determined on 25 understory plots systematically located within each plot, with data analyzed using analysis of variance and regression. Herbaceous forage biomass and coverage and light intensity were correlated negatively (P

Citation

Peitz, David G.; Shelton, Michael G.; Tappe, Philip A. 2001. Forage production after thinning a natural loblolly pine-hardwoocl stand to clifferent basal areas. Wildlife Society Bulletin 29(2):697-705