The evolution of pine plantation silviculture in the Southern United States

In the 1950s, vast acreages of cutover forest land and degraded agricultural land existed in the South. Less than 2 million acres of southern pine plantations existed at that time. By the end of the 20th century, there were 32 million acres of southern pine plantations in the Southern United States, and this region is now the woodbasket of the world. The success story...

Soil macrofauna and litter nutrients in three tropical tree plantations on a disturbed site in Puerto Rico.

Tree plantations are increasingly common in tropical landscapes due to their multiple uses. Plantations vary in structure and composition, and these variations may alter soil fauna communities. Recent studies have demonstrated the important role of soil fauna in the regulation of plant litter decomposition in the tropics. However, little is known about how plantation...

Assessing the effects of vegetation types on carbon storage fifteen years after reforestation on a Chinese fir site

Forest ecosystems play a significant role in sequestering carbon (C) in biomass and soils. Plantations established in subtropical China since the 1980s, mainly of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook) in monocultures, have proved to be major C sinks. However, information is lacking about whether mixing Chinese fir with broadleaved tree...

Forest Plantations

Between the extremes of afforestation and unaided natural

regeneration of natural forests, there is a range of

forest conditions in which human intervention occurs.

Previously, forest plantations were defined as...

Growth of young Douglas-fir plantations across a gradient in Swiss needle cast severity.

During the past decade, Swiss needle cast (SNC) damage has intensified in many Douglas-fir plantations in the Coast Range of Oregon, particularly along the immediate north coast. In plantations with severe symptoms, growth losses and reduced tree vigor are evident, but the magnitude of growth losses associated with varying intensities of damage is not known. A growth...

Tall shrub layer biomass in conifer plantations in northeastern Minnesota.

Provides estimates of biomass (pounds/acre) for tall shrub species in 53 conifer plantations in northeastern Minnesota. The estimates are analyzed by plantation age and silvicultural practices used to establish and release the plantations.

Relative Impacts of Ice Storms on Loblolly Pine Plantations in Central Arkansas

Catastrophic ice storms can inflict widespread damage to forests in the Southeastern United States. Two severe ice storms struck Arkansas in December 2000, resulting in heavy losses to loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations. We assessed the type and magnitude of damage in four loblolly pine plantation conditions: unthinned 11- to 12-year-old...

Comparing timber and lumber from plantation and natural stands of ponderosa pine

Data derived from empirical studies, coupled with modeling and simulation techniques, were used to compare tree and product quality from two stands of small-diameter ponderosa pine trees growing in northern California: one plantation, the other natural. The plantation had no management following establishment, and the natural stand had no active management. Fifty trees...

Long term studies on development of longleaf pine plantations

The U.S. Forest Service's Laboratory at Pineville, LA has established and maintained over 250 permanent plots in longleaf pine plantations. This database represents a range of sites in south-central United States. Some of these plots represent over 50 years of stand development in plantations currently over 65 years old. All of the plots have recorded 20 years or...