Soil compaction affects growth of young shortleaf pine following litter removal and weed control in the Missouri Ozarks (2004)Ponder Jr, F. (2004). Soil compaction affects growth of young shortleaf pine following litter removal and weed control in the Missouri Ozarks. Proceedings, 14th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; 2004 March 16-19; Wooster, OH. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-316. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 255-264. Paper presented at the Proceedings. 14th Central Hardwood Forest Conference. Retrieved from More frequent use of heavy equipment in intensive forest practices can lead to soil compaction and reduced productivity. The growth of 8-year-old planted shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) and seasonal soil moisture stress and soil temperature were measured on cherty silt loam soil from which surface organic materials (whole tree plus leaf litter) had been removed before applying compaction treatments. Three levels of compaction and two levels of understory control were compared. Trees were significantly taller and had more height and diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) growth in compacted treatments than in the no compacted treatment and when the understory was absent than when present. Mean seasonal soil moisture stress was much higher for compacted treatments than for the no compaction treatment during the measurement period, except for September. But differences were significant only for May (severe compaction>no compaction) and September (severe compaction
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