The sprouting potential of loblolly and shortleaf pines: Implications for seedling recovery from top damage (2002)Shelton, M. G., & Cain, M. D. (2002b). The sprouting potential of loblolly and shortleaf pines: Implications for seedling recovery from top damage. Proceedings of the 2002 Arkansas Forest Resources Center Arkansas Forestry Symposium, Little Rock, AR, May 23, 2002. Retrieved from http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/9549 Loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) and shortleaf (P. echinata Mill.) pine seedlings are frequently top damaged during their first few years by browsing animals, insects, or forestry operations, but little quantitative information exists on the factors affecting recovery. Thus, we conducted two separate studies to evaluate potential recovery of seedlings from top damage under controlled conditions. The first study evaluated the effect of season of burn on recovery of 1-year-old shortleaf pine seedlings. Although 99% of the seedlings were topkilled by the fires, survival of sprouting rootstocks exceeded 95% the year following the winter burn. However, no seedlings sprouted following the summer burn. Results indicate that winter prescribed fires have considerable potential in establishing natural shortleaf pine regeneration. The second study evaluated the effects of the extent and season of simulated browse damage on the recovery 1-year-old loblolly pine seedlings. Seedlings were clipped in both winter and spring at five positions: at the midpoint between the root collar and cotyledons, and so that 25, 50, 75, and 100% of the height between the cotyledons and the terminal remained after clipping. All seedlings clipped below the cotyledons died. Survival at 3 years for seedlings clipped above the cotyledons was 97% following winter clipping and 96% following spring clipping. Seedlings clipped in winter were larger at 3 years than those clipped during spring. Results of this study suggest that planting loblolly pine seedlings deep, with the cotyledons below ground level, may be an advantage in areas where browse damage is common http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/9549
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