Importance of Seedyear, Seedbed, and Overstory for Establishment of NaturalLoblolly and Shortleaf Pine Regeneration in Southern Arkansas

摘要

A study was installed in two uneven-aged, pine-hardwood stands in southernArkansas to determine the effects of different seedyears and seedbed conditions on first-year density and quadrat stocking of natural loblolly and shortleaf pine (Pinus taeda and P. echinata) regeneration. When the study was installed, merchantable basal area averaged about 120 square feet per acre, with 50 percent of that in pines and 50 percent in hardwoods. Pine seedling counts relative to seedcatch in 5 succeeding years were compared on untreated check plots and on plots where hardwoods were controlled by stem injection of herbicides. Injected plots contained both undisturbed seedbeds (pine-hardwood litter) and disturbed seedbeds (mineral soil exposed). During the 5-year study, seedcrops ranged from a complete failure to over 1 million potentially viable seeds per acre. Pine seedling densities were well correlated with the seedcrops.