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Early survival and growth of planted shortleaf pine seedlings as a function of initial size and overstory stocking

Informally Refereed

Abstract

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. This study, in the oak and oak-pine forests of the Sinkin Experimental Forest in southeastern Missouri, quantified the effects 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 significant. 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 significantly greater (P < 0.02) survival rate.

Parent Publication

Citation

Kabrick, John M.; Dey, Daniel C.; Shifley, Stephen R.; Villwock, Jason L. 2011. Early survival and growth of planted shortleaf pine seedlings as a function of initial size and overstory stocking. In: Fei, Songlin; Lhotka, John M.; Stringer, Jeffrey W.; Gottschalk, Kurt W.; Miller, Gary W., eds. Proceedings, 17th central hardwood forest conference; 2010 April 5-7; Lexington, KY; Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-78. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 277-286.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/38062