Abstract
Site preparation influence on production of planted 5-year old loblolly pines from two East Texas locations was tested by measuring density, dbh, total height, and biomass on four site preparation treatments; leave, burn, chop and shear/pile. Site preparation influence on production was not statistically significant ((alpha) = 0.1), but two practical points were evident: (1) site productivity varied among soils and (2) sites prepared by the shear/pile treatment produced larger dbh's, total heights and total above ground biomass than leave, burn and chop treatments. Greater growth on the shear/pile plots was related to more effective competition control at establishment allowing for increased site capture by the crop trees. Soil bulk density, pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, extractable P, Ca, Mg and K were determined at two A horizon depths for four soil series occurring on the study plots. Bulk densities were similar for all treatments and soils. By the fifth growing season, compaction due to mechanical site preparation was not evident. Five years following treatment, soil N, Ca, K, base saturation and pH on the burn treatment were significantly larger than the shear/pile treatment. Neither differed significantly from the other treatments and the lower shear/pile levels were not reflected by lower site productivity. Foliar and stemwood concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, P and N in loblolly pine were determined to test site preparation influence on annual and long term nutrient uptake. In the fifth growth year, foliar and stemwood nutrient concentrations were similar among treatments indicating that the site preparation treatments had not altered nutrient uptake patterns in the study trees.
Pehl, Charles Edwar (1981). The influence of site preparation upon production of young loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations in East Texas. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -646862.