Plant response to soils, site preparation, and initial pine planting density.

Abstract

This study described the effects of soils, site preparation, and initial pine regeneration spacings on tree growth and the associated understory woody and herbaceous plant succession. Although Sawyer soils appeared more productive than Ruston soils before the harvest and regeneration treatments, woody and herbaceous plant differences were not apparent between the soils after regeneration. During the first 3 years after treatment, the mechanical site preparation method (shear-windrow-burn) reduced woody plant heights more than the underplant-release method; however, these height differences disappeared by the 6th year of post-treatment. Woody plant densities decreased initially, increased by the 6th year after treatment, and decreased to pretreatment levels by the 10th year. Herbage yields increased significantly after site preparation and pine regeneration through the 3rd year, decreased by the 6th year, and declined to levels below pretreatment by the 10th year. initial pine planting densities did not significantly influence the understory herbage yields during the first 10 years as a result of the confounding effects of the other woody plant growth.