| dc.description.abstract | Research on pine straw (pine needles) harvesting has already begun because of its high demand by home owners and commercial industry. This high demand has forced increased straw removal on pine forests. Straw harvesting influences soil nutrient levels, infiltration rates, understory vegetation, and timber productivity of the forest ecosystem. The objectives of this project were to determine the effects of pine straw harvesting and fertilizer applications on water infiltration rates, runoff quality, and erodibility of the system. These hypotheses were tested using a series of rainfall simulators on the Palustris Experimental Forest in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Four treatments were installed on three sites; these include: fertilizing, burning, straw harvesting, and an undisturbed control. Soil core samples, runoff water samples, vegetation samples, and cover estimates were taken to provide appropriate data to determine the environmental impacts of pine straw harvest on this ecosystem. Results showed that fertilizer had no significant impacts on the hydrologic parameters; therefore was excluded from the analysis. Additional results showed that infiltration rates decreased with increased harvest; soil erosion, as well as runoff quality decreased with increased harvest, which was supported by soil production, soil concentration, and nutrient production data. These results prove the hypotheses correct, with the exception of fertilizer as a significant factor. A treatment of yearly harvest straw harvest and burn defines the limits of this ecosystem, rendering it unproductive to commercial and private industry. Best management approaches would need to include a period of rest to prevent degradation of the system. | en |
