Early survival and growth of planted shortleaf pine seedlings as a function of initial size and overstory stocking (2011)Kabrick, J. M., Dey, D. C., Shifley, S. R., & Villwock, J. L. (2011). Early survival and growth of planted shortleaf pine seedlings as a function of initial size and overstory stocking. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 17th Central Hardwood Forest Conference. USA: USDA For Serv GTR NRS-P-78. Retrieved from https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr-p-78papers/29kabrickp78.pdf Shortleaf pine was once abundant throughout the Missouri Ozarks and there is renewed interest in its restoration. Past research suggested that the greatest survival and growth of shortleaf pine seedlings occurred where there was little competition for sunlight. Th is study, in the oak and oak-pine forests of the Sinkin Experimental Forest in southeastern Missouri, quantifi ed the eff ects of residual overstory density on the early survival and growth of planted shortleaf pine seedlings. We established 48 one-acre experimental units and thinned each from below to establish a uniform stocking level in the range of 0 to 80 percent. In the center of each experimental unit we established 30 1-0 shortleaf pine seedlings on a 12- by 24-foot spacing. One growing season after planting we used regression to analyze seedling (1) survival, (2) basal diameter growth, and (3) shoot growth as functions of initial seedling size and overstory stocking. Increasing overstory stocking nominally decreased seedling survival, but the eff ect was small and not signifi cant. However, each 20-percent increase in overstory stocking signifi cantly (P < 0.001) decreased diameter growth by about 0.01 inches and shoot growth by 0.7 inches. Seedlings with larger initial size had a signifi cantly greater (P < 0.02) survival rate
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr-p-78papers/29kabrickp78.pdf |
