38 thelongleafallianceorg

History

Longleaf pine forests originally covered more than 60 million

acres extending along the Coastal Plain from southern Virginia to

eastern Texas in the Piedmont ofAlabama and Georgia and in the

Ridge and Valley ofAlabama Some estimates run as high as 90

million acres although these acres include mixtures of longleaf

pine and other species

Virgin stands present when European explorers arrived

contained an estimated 200 billion board feet For more than 250

years following European settlement of Virginia human impact on

the longleaf forest was minor and limited to Virginia Korth

Carolina and the major river courses

bull Distribution oflongleafpine

Longleaf pine

1

From early settlement until about 1900 mills consisted

mostly of small tidewater operations along coastal areas

This period wimessed relatively minor impacts on the

longleaf pine forest The vast interior longleaf forest was

still intact Events in the late 1800s greatly accelerated the

longleaf harvest Locomotives specifically designed for

logging increased accessibility steam skidders increased

the number of logs that could be hauled and new band

saws increased milling capacity tenfold

The period between 1900 and1930 wimessed the

establishment of large inland mills and some of the

most intensive forest liquidation the world had ever seen

Some refer to this period as the railroad logging era

The longleaf pine harvest peaked in 1909 and by 1935

the once vast longleaf forest was reduced to one-third

of its original size or about 20 million acres Only 16

percent of the remaining acres were classified as uncut

old growth and 75 percent of the acres were classified as

partially cut old growth

After 1930 the species continued

its drastic decline due to the clearing

of land for agriculture and developshy

ment regeneration failures and

replacement by more aggressive and

faster growing loblolly and slash

pines Data from 1995 show only

3 million acres of longleaf remaining

which is less than 5 percent of its

original extent

Benefits of Longleaf Pine

exported to other countries Domestic use was vast and

supported the growth of a new nation Naval stores

prinCipally turpentine and rosin from resins taken from

living trees peaked in the early 19005 then declined as

the virgin longleaf disappeared these materials became

by-products of the pulp and paper industry

Longleaf pine has potential financial advantages over

loblolly and slash pines particularly in sawtimber-length

rotations Longleaf pines primary economic advantage is

that its tall straight knot-free form is ideal for producing

high-valued poles which are worth 30 to 40 percent

more than sawtimber Longleaf pine stands usually

produce a much greater percentage of poles than do the

other pine species One survey shows almost two-thirds

of longleaf pine sawtimber-sized trees could be sold as

poles whereas only one-quarter of the slash pine

sawtimber-sized trees made poles The percentage of

loblolly pine making poles is even less

From the start longleaf pine forests were harvested for a

variety of products Historically beneficial uses focused on

lumber pulp and naval stores Because of its tall straight

form longleaf was used as masts for sailing ships and was

bull High-valued longleafpinepoles

An additional benefit of longleaf pine is that more

landowners are interested in planting species native to the

site and for most upland sites in south Mississippi

longleaf pine is the native species Also longleaf is more

resistant than loblolly or slash pine to insects such as the

2

50uthern pine beetle and diseases such as annosus root rot

and fusiform rust

Early Regeneration Efforts

Initial regeneration efforts with longleaf often failed

because foresters and landowners did not realize its

regeneration is different from other pines First upon

germination longleaf pine seedlings enter what is termed

a grass stage where it can persist like a clump of grass

for up to 10 years or longer before starting height growth

Hardwood brush and herbaceous weeds are able to grow

oyer and outcompete the seedlings for moisture and sunshy

light retarding height growth and often killing seedlings

For landowners interested in short-rotation timber

production this grass stage is a distinct disadvantage

A second factor that inhibits regeneration is that

longleaf pine in the grass stage is susceptible to brmvn

spot disease a fungus that reduces seedling vigor and

can kill seedlings A third problem was poor plantingshy

stock quality in artificial regeneration Complete failures

of longleaf pine plantings were common It was not

recognized that planting and growing longleaf pine

seedlings correctly were more difficult than with slash

and loblolly pines

Fourth where natural regeneration was attempted

there often were too few mature trees left after logging to

adequately seed an area Longleaf pine seed are larger and

heavier than other pines and the seed fall close to the

parent tree The combination of too few seed trees heavy

seed and infrequent seed crops has produced many

understocked stands that persist to this day

Other factors inhibiting longleaf regeneration include

free-ranging hogs that eat young seedlings and the lack of

fire to prepare a seedbed reduce competition and reduce

the incidence of brown spot disease The latter has led to

much natural encroachment of loblolly and slash pines

onto longleaf sites

bull Brown spot disease on a longleafseedling

Most of these limitations described have been overshy

come or minimized this fact combined with longleafs

high economic value has generated much of the current

interest in longleaf Successful techniques for regenerating

longleaf pine by artificial and natural means have been

developed With proper treatment the grass stage is greatly

reduced and the tree can grow nearly as rapidly as the

other pine species on most sites and better on some

Planting Longleaf

Planting stock for longleaf is produced in two ways

as bare root or seedlings grovln in containers Bare-root

seedlings are those grown in a plant nursery then

removed (lifted) for processing shipping and planting

The bare-root seedling is just that-a tree seedling with

minimal soil attached to the roots This makes it less

expensive and easier to handle in bulk The lifting process

3

however divides part of the root system and can severely

stress seedlings if too many rootgt are removed Comshy

pounded by poor handling and planting stress can greatly

reduce bare-root survival rates compared to those of

seedlings grown in containers

Seedlings in containers are grown individually the soil

mass and plant are planted together Because the root mass

remains intact and relatively undisturbed from germinshy

ation until planting there is less damage to the root

system and less stress upon the seedlings Compared to

bare-root seedlings seedlings in containers generally

survive better move through the grass stage more rapidly

and enable landowners to plant later into the spring

season Even though seedlings in containers cost about

three times more than bare-root seedlings the assurance

of a good stand of longleaf is often worth the cost

bull Longleafpine seedlings in containers

Many earlier plantings with longleaf pine bare-root

seedlings were unsuccessful because the importance of

seedling quality and proper planting technique were not

recognized High-quality bare-root seedlings properly

planted on sites free from woody or herbaceous plant

competition increase survival rates allow the seedlings to

move rapidly through the grass stage and promote rapid

height growth High-quality longleaf seedlings have a rom

collar diameter (RCD) of 04 inch an 8-inch-long

taproot and many lateral roots

Plant the seedling as soon after lifting as possible

Planting dates extend from mid-December to midshy

February in Mississippi but earlier plantings generally

have better survival rates If the seedlings cannot be

planted immediately refrigerate them to reduce mortality

Plant the seedling with the root collar slightly below the

soil surface to protect it from cold temperatures and avoid

planting in periods of climatic stress (low soil moisture

high vvinds low temperatures)

Control competing woody and herbaceous vegetation

before planting and for at least 2 years following planting

Focus on having 300 to 500 live seedlings per acre a year

after planting Consulting successful longleaf plantations

for guidance can save time effort and money

Natural Regeneration

Regenerating longleaf pine naturally reqUires considerable

and careful planning to produce the exact conditions

required by longleaf Regeneration plans include ensuring

an adequate seed supply preparing a proper seedbed

reducing competing vegetation and obtaining adequate

soil moisture

As a stand approaches maturity thin the stand to

medium density leaving the best trees This opens up the

stand promotes crow11 development and leaves the best

4

_ _ _----shy

parent trees This cut is a shelterwood preparatory cut

because it prepares the stand for the future

Table 1 shows the number of trees per acre to leave

after the preparatory cut After about 5 years reduce the

number of trees even further leaving the final seed trees

This is called the shelterwood seed cut and the stand at

this point should appear open It is important to leave

about 30 square feet of basal area per acre of the bestshy

formed and best seed-producing trees after the seed cut

This cut provides good genetic stock and maximizes seed

production yet it allows enough light for seedlings to

begin growth Table 1 also shows the number of trees per

acre to leave after the seed cut

Because longleaf pine is an irregular seed producer it

is important to time treatments to coincide with a good

seed crop To forecast seed crops in the spring use binocshy

ulars to count conelets Roughly 1000 cones per acre or

35 to 50 cones per seed tree generally are needed to

establish an adequate number of seedlings

Table 1

bull Longleafseed trees with about 30 squarefeet ofbasal area

16

Tree Guide for Natural Regeneration of Longleaf Pine

43-50 18-25

1 Prej14rator) tttl corresponds to DO to If) S(]1jrejeel abasal aretl pel acre seed GIlt corresponds to 25 to 35 squareeet (Ibasal area pel flere

5

Seed fall primarily in late October to early November

germinate quickly but cannot penetrate a thick layer of

litter or grass Conducting a prescribed fire or light

scarification 3 to 10 months before seed fall prepares a

good seedbed and enhances seedling survival A burn

conducted too close to seed fall however leaves the

ground open and birds rodents and other animals can

find and may eat much of the seed crop unless it is a

bumper crop

Longleaf does not compete well with other vegetation

Controlling hardwoods and herbaceous weeds with fire

or herbicides (or both) before and after the seed cut

enhances survival and growth of germinated seedlings By

reducing competing plants more water is also available to

seedlings which is particularly important on sandy sites

where water percolates rapidly through the soil profile

Once an adequate number of seedlings (about 6000

per acre) are established remove the parent trees

when seedlings are 1 to 2 years old Having this number

bull Longleafcones andyoung seedlings

of seedlings ensures enough survivors after harvesting the

overstory Delaying the harvest of parent trees increases

seedling mortality

Prescribed Burning

Longleaf pine is a fire-dependent species which means

that fire helps create those conditions reqUired by longleaf

to naturally regenerate It is not immune to fire however

and seedlings less than a year old and seedlings just out of

the grass stage are particularly vulnerable to fire

Prescribed burning prepares a seedbed by exposing

mineral soil and reducing competition from woody and

herbaceous species thus aiding in regeneration In

seedling stands proper burning reduces the amount of

brown spot fungus infection In heavily infected stands

however the infected needles become a fuel source

instead of protecting the bud from the heat of the fire

Burning seedlings under a parent stand is risky and

if necessary must be done carefully to preserve the

seedling stand The fire must be properly prescribed and

controlled or all seedlings beneath the croWIlS of the

parent trees can be lost largely due to high needle fuel

loads located there

To keep competing vegetation in check prescribed

burning is probably best done on about a 3-year cycle

from the sapling stage through maturity Winter burns

are easier to apply but a series of spring burns may

sometimes be required

Prescribed burning also benefits a variety of wildlife

species Longleaf pine forests have a natural high diversity

of understory species and prescribed burning maintains

the open understory and diversity of plant species critical

to wildlife as food Ground-dwelling wildlife such as deer

turkey rabbits and bobwhite quail benefit from proper

burning The vast majority of mammals found in longleaf

6

forests feed on the ground The lack of fire results in

woody vegetation developing and shading out the

important understory species which reduces wildlife

habitat quality

References BoyerW D 1996 Anticipating good longleafpine cone

crops Alabamas TREASURED Forests (15 24- 2 6)

Crocker T c Jr 1987 Longleafpine Ahistory ofman and a forest USDA Forest Service Forestry Report

R8-FR7 (37 pp)

Dennington R w and R M Farrar 1983 Longleaf pine management USDA Forest Service Forestry

Report R8-FR 3 (17 pp)

Dennington R W 1990 Regenerating longleafpine with the shelterwood method USDA Forest Service

Management Bulletin R8-MB 47 (2 pp)

Franklin R M 1997 Stewardship oflongleafpineforests Aguide for landowners Longleaf Alliance Report

No2 (41 pp) The Longleaf Alliance Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center Andalusia Alabama

Landers J L D H Van Lear and W D Boyer 1 995

The longleafpineforests ofthe southeast Requiem or renaissance Journal of Forestry 9339-44

Vanderveer H L 1993 When to use containerized seedlings Forest Farmer 52 17-19 36

Walhenberg W G 1946 Longleafpine Its use ecology regeneration protection growth and management (429 pp) Charles Lathrop Park Forestry

Foundation Washington DC

Proceedings

Farrar R M Jr (1989) The Symposium on the Management qfLongleafPine USDA Forest Service

General Technical Report SO-75 (294 pp)

Hermann S M (1993) The Tall Timbers Fire Ecology

Conference No 18 (418 pp) l1xdongleafpine ecosystem Ecology restoration and management Tall

Timbers Research Station Tallahassee Florida

Kush J S (1996) First Longleaf Alliance Conference

Longleafpine Aregional perspective ofcbattenges and opportunities Longleaf Alliance Report No1

(178 pp)

7

bull bull bull SlSSIPPI

Acknowledgments

Editor Debbie Nettles

Graphic Design and Layout Phillip Smith

Photography The University of Southern Mississippi Archives U S Forest Service Glenn Hughes

Printing Mississippi State University Printing Department

8

~pcentJI

ExtensIon ========== SERVICE

wwwextmsstateedu

Mississippi State UnirJersity does not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion national origin sex age disability or veteran status

By Glenn Hughes PhD Extension Forestry Specialist

Publi(ation 7701

Extension Service of Mississippi State University cooperating with US Department of Agriculture Published in furtherance of Acts

of Congress May 8 and June 30 1914 RONALD A BROWN Director (5M-1-991

From early settlement until about 1900 mills consisted

mostly of small tidewater operations along coastal areas

This period wimessed relatively minor impacts on the

longleaf pine forest The vast interior longleaf forest was

still intact Events in the late 1800s greatly accelerated the

longleaf harvest Locomotives specifically designed for

logging increased accessibility steam skidders increased

the number of logs that could be hauled and new band

saws increased milling capacity tenfold

The period between 1900 and1930 wimessed the

establishment of large inland mills and some of the

most intensive forest liquidation the world had ever seen

Some refer to this period as the railroad logging era

The longleaf pine harvest peaked in 1909 and by 1935

the once vast longleaf forest was reduced to one-third

of its original size or about 20 million acres Only 16

percent of the remaining acres were classified as uncut

old growth and 75 percent of the acres were classified as

partially cut old growth

After 1930 the species continued

its drastic decline due to the clearing

of land for agriculture and developshy

ment regeneration failures and

replacement by more aggressive and

faster growing loblolly and slash

pines Data from 1995 show only

3 million acres of longleaf remaining

which is less than 5 percent of its

original extent

Benefits of Longleaf Pine

exported to other countries Domestic use was vast and

supported the growth of a new nation Naval stores

prinCipally turpentine and rosin from resins taken from

living trees peaked in the early 19005 then declined as

the virgin longleaf disappeared these materials became

by-products of the pulp and paper industry

Longleaf pine has potential financial advantages over

loblolly and slash pines particularly in sawtimber-length

rotations Longleaf pines primary economic advantage is

that its tall straight knot-free form is ideal for producing

high-valued poles which are worth 30 to 40 percent

more than sawtimber Longleaf pine stands usually

produce a much greater percentage of poles than do the

other pine species One survey shows almost two-thirds

of longleaf pine sawtimber-sized trees could be sold as

poles whereas only one-quarter of the slash pine

sawtimber-sized trees made poles The percentage of

loblolly pine making poles is even less

From the start longleaf pine forests were harvested for a

variety of products Historically beneficial uses focused on

lumber pulp and naval stores Because of its tall straight

form longleaf was used as masts for sailing ships and was

bull High-valued longleafpinepoles

An additional benefit of longleaf pine is that more

landowners are interested in planting species native to the

site and for most upland sites in south Mississippi

longleaf pine is the native species Also longleaf is more

resistant than loblolly or slash pine to insects such as the

2

50uthern pine beetle and diseases such as annosus root rot

and fusiform rust

Early Regeneration Efforts

Initial regeneration efforts with longleaf often failed

because foresters and landowners did not realize its

regeneration is different from other pines First upon

germination longleaf pine seedlings enter what is termed

a grass stage where it can persist like a clump of grass

for up to 10 years or longer before starting height growth

Hardwood brush and herbaceous weeds are able to grow

oyer and outcompete the seedlings for moisture and sunshy

light retarding height growth and often killing seedlings

For landowners interested in short-rotation timber

production this grass stage is a distinct disadvantage

A second factor that inhibits regeneration is that

longleaf pine in the grass stage is susceptible to brmvn

spot disease a fungus that reduces seedling vigor and

can kill seedlings A third problem was poor plantingshy

stock quality in artificial regeneration Complete failures

of longleaf pine plantings were common It was not

recognized that planting and growing longleaf pine

seedlings correctly were more difficult than with slash

and loblolly pines

Fourth where natural regeneration was attempted

there often were too few mature trees left after logging to

adequately seed an area Longleaf pine seed are larger and

heavier than other pines and the seed fall close to the

parent tree The combination of too few seed trees heavy

seed and infrequent seed crops has produced many

understocked stands that persist to this day

Other factors inhibiting longleaf regeneration include

free-ranging hogs that eat young seedlings and the lack of

fire to prepare a seedbed reduce competition and reduce

the incidence of brown spot disease The latter has led to

much natural encroachment of loblolly and slash pines

onto longleaf sites

bull Brown spot disease on a longleafseedling

Most of these limitations described have been overshy

come or minimized this fact combined with longleafs

high economic value has generated much of the current

interest in longleaf Successful techniques for regenerating

longleaf pine by artificial and natural means have been

developed With proper treatment the grass stage is greatly

reduced and the tree can grow nearly as rapidly as the

other pine species on most sites and better on some

Planting Longleaf

Planting stock for longleaf is produced in two ways

as bare root or seedlings grovln in containers Bare-root

seedlings are those grown in a plant nursery then

removed (lifted) for processing shipping and planting

The bare-root seedling is just that-a tree seedling with

minimal soil attached to the roots This makes it less

expensive and easier to handle in bulk The lifting process

3

however divides part of the root system and can severely

stress seedlings if too many rootgt are removed Comshy

pounded by poor handling and planting stress can greatly

reduce bare-root survival rates compared to those of

seedlings grown in containers

Seedlings in containers are grown individually the soil

mass and plant are planted together Because the root mass

remains intact and relatively undisturbed from germinshy

ation until planting there is less damage to the root

system and less stress upon the seedlings Compared to

bare-root seedlings seedlings in containers generally

survive better move through the grass stage more rapidly

and enable landowners to plant later into the spring

season Even though seedlings in containers cost about

three times more than bare-root seedlings the assurance

of a good stand of longleaf is often worth the cost

bull Longleafpine seedlings in containers

Many earlier plantings with longleaf pine bare-root

seedlings were unsuccessful because the importance of

seedling quality and proper planting technique were not

recognized High-quality bare-root seedlings properly

planted on sites free from woody or herbaceous plant

competition increase survival rates allow the seedlings to

move rapidly through the grass stage and promote rapid

height growth High-quality longleaf seedlings have a rom

collar diameter (RCD) of 04 inch an 8-inch-long

taproot and many lateral roots

Plant the seedling as soon after lifting as possible

Planting dates extend from mid-December to midshy

February in Mississippi but earlier plantings generally

have better survival rates If the seedlings cannot be

planted immediately refrigerate them to reduce mortality

Plant the seedling with the root collar slightly below the

soil surface to protect it from cold temperatures and avoid

planting in periods of climatic stress (low soil moisture

high vvinds low temperatures)

Control competing woody and herbaceous vegetation

before planting and for at least 2 years following planting

Focus on having 300 to 500 live seedlings per acre a year

after planting Consulting successful longleaf plantations

for guidance can save time effort and money

Natural Regeneration

Regenerating longleaf pine naturally reqUires considerable

and careful planning to produce the exact conditions

required by longleaf Regeneration plans include ensuring

an adequate seed supply preparing a proper seedbed

reducing competing vegetation and obtaining adequate

soil moisture

As a stand approaches maturity thin the stand to

medium density leaving the best trees This opens up the

stand promotes crow11 development and leaves the best

4

_ _ _----shy

parent trees This cut is a shelterwood preparatory cut

because it prepares the stand for the future

Table 1 shows the number of trees per acre to leave

after the preparatory cut After about 5 years reduce the

number of trees even further leaving the final seed trees

This is called the shelterwood seed cut and the stand at

this point should appear open It is important to leave

about 30 square feet of basal area per acre of the bestshy

formed and best seed-producing trees after the seed cut

This cut provides good genetic stock and maximizes seed

production yet it allows enough light for seedlings to

begin growth Table 1 also shows the number of trees per

acre to leave after the seed cut

Because longleaf pine is an irregular seed producer it

is important to time treatments to coincide with a good

seed crop To forecast seed crops in the spring use binocshy

ulars to count conelets Roughly 1000 cones per acre or

35 to 50 cones per seed tree generally are needed to

establish an adequate number of seedlings

Table 1

bull Longleafseed trees with about 30 squarefeet ofbasal area

16

Tree Guide for Natural Regeneration of Longleaf Pine

43-50 18-25

1 Prej14rator) tttl corresponds to DO to If) S(]1jrejeel abasal aretl pel acre seed GIlt corresponds to 25 to 35 squareeet (Ibasal area pel flere

5

Seed fall primarily in late October to early November

germinate quickly but cannot penetrate a thick layer of

litter or grass Conducting a prescribed fire or light

scarification 3 to 10 months before seed fall prepares a

good seedbed and enhances seedling survival A burn

conducted too close to seed fall however leaves the

ground open and birds rodents and other animals can

find and may eat much of the seed crop unless it is a

bumper crop

Longleaf does not compete well with other vegetation

Controlling hardwoods and herbaceous weeds with fire

or herbicides (or both) before and after the seed cut

enhances survival and growth of germinated seedlings By

reducing competing plants more water is also available to

seedlings which is particularly important on sandy sites

where water percolates rapidly through the soil profile

Once an adequate number of seedlings (about 6000

per acre) are established remove the parent trees

when seedlings are 1 to 2 years old Having this number

bull Longleafcones andyoung seedlings

of seedlings ensures enough survivors after harvesting the

overstory Delaying the harvest of parent trees increases

seedling mortality

Prescribed Burning

Longleaf pine is a fire-dependent species which means

that fire helps create those conditions reqUired by longleaf

to naturally regenerate It is not immune to fire however

and seedlings less than a year old and seedlings just out of

the grass stage are particularly vulnerable to fire

Prescribed burning prepares a seedbed by exposing

mineral soil and reducing competition from woody and

herbaceous species thus aiding in regeneration In

seedling stands proper burning reduces the amount of

brown spot fungus infection In heavily infected stands

however the infected needles become a fuel source

instead of protecting the bud from the heat of the fire

Burning seedlings under a parent stand is risky and

if necessary must be done carefully to preserve the

seedling stand The fire must be properly prescribed and

controlled or all seedlings beneath the croWIlS of the

parent trees can be lost largely due to high needle fuel

loads located there

To keep competing vegetation in check prescribed

burning is probably best done on about a 3-year cycle

from the sapling stage through maturity Winter burns

are easier to apply but a series of spring burns may

sometimes be required

Prescribed burning also benefits a variety of wildlife

species Longleaf pine forests have a natural high diversity

of understory species and prescribed burning maintains

the open understory and diversity of plant species critical

to wildlife as food Ground-dwelling wildlife such as deer

turkey rabbits and bobwhite quail benefit from proper

burning The vast majority of mammals found in longleaf

6

forests feed on the ground The lack of fire results in

woody vegetation developing and shading out the

important understory species which reduces wildlife

habitat quality

References BoyerW D 1996 Anticipating good longleafpine cone

crops Alabamas TREASURED Forests (15 24- 2 6)

Crocker T c Jr 1987 Longleafpine Ahistory ofman and a forest USDA Forest Service Forestry Report

R8-FR7 (37 pp)

Dennington R w and R M Farrar 1983 Longleaf pine management USDA Forest Service Forestry

Report R8-FR 3 (17 pp)

Dennington R W 1990 Regenerating longleafpine with the shelterwood method USDA Forest Service

Management Bulletin R8-MB 47 (2 pp)

Franklin R M 1997 Stewardship oflongleafpineforests Aguide for landowners Longleaf Alliance Report

No2 (41 pp) The Longleaf Alliance Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center Andalusia Alabama

Landers J L D H Van Lear and W D Boyer 1 995

The longleafpineforests ofthe southeast Requiem or renaissance Journal of Forestry 9339-44

Vanderveer H L 1993 When to use containerized seedlings Forest Farmer 52 17-19 36

Walhenberg W G 1946 Longleafpine Its use ecology regeneration protection growth and management (429 pp) Charles Lathrop Park Forestry

Foundation Washington DC

Proceedings

Farrar R M Jr (1989) The Symposium on the Management qfLongleafPine USDA Forest Service

General Technical Report SO-75 (294 pp)

Hermann S M (1993) The Tall Timbers Fire Ecology

Conference No 18 (418 pp) l1xdongleafpine ecosystem Ecology restoration and management Tall

Timbers Research Station Tallahassee Florida

Kush J S (1996) First Longleaf Alliance Conference

Longleafpine Aregional perspective ofcbattenges and opportunities Longleaf Alliance Report No1

(178 pp)

7

bull bull bull SlSSIPPI

Acknowledgments

Editor Debbie Nettles

Graphic Design and Layout Phillip Smith

Photography The University of Southern Mississippi Archives U S Forest Service Glenn Hughes

Printing Mississippi State University Printing Department

8

~pcentJI

ExtensIon ========== SERVICE

wwwextmsstateedu

Mississippi State UnirJersity does not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion national origin sex age disability or veteran status

By Glenn Hughes PhD Extension Forestry Specialist

Publi(ation 7701

Extension Service of Mississippi State University cooperating with US Department of Agriculture Published in furtherance of Acts

of Congress May 8 and June 30 1914 RONALD A BROWN Director (5M-1-991

50uthern pine beetle and diseases such as annosus root rot

and fusiform rust

Early Regeneration Efforts

Initial regeneration efforts with longleaf often failed

because foresters and landowners did not realize its

regeneration is different from other pines First upon

germination longleaf pine seedlings enter what is termed

a grass stage where it can persist like a clump of grass

for up to 10 years or longer before starting height growth

Hardwood brush and herbaceous weeds are able to grow

oyer and outcompete the seedlings for moisture and sunshy

light retarding height growth and often killing seedlings

For landowners interested in short-rotation timber

production this grass stage is a distinct disadvantage

A second factor that inhibits regeneration is that

longleaf pine in the grass stage is susceptible to brmvn

spot disease a fungus that reduces seedling vigor and

can kill seedlings A third problem was poor plantingshy

stock quality in artificial regeneration Complete failures

of longleaf pine plantings were common It was not

recognized that planting and growing longleaf pine

seedlings correctly were more difficult than with slash

and loblolly pines

Fourth where natural regeneration was attempted

there often were too few mature trees left after logging to

adequately seed an area Longleaf pine seed are larger and

heavier than other pines and the seed fall close to the

parent tree The combination of too few seed trees heavy

seed and infrequent seed crops has produced many

understocked stands that persist to this day

Other factors inhibiting longleaf regeneration include

free-ranging hogs that eat young seedlings and the lack of

fire to prepare a seedbed reduce competition and reduce

the incidence of brown spot disease The latter has led to

much natural encroachment of loblolly and slash pines

onto longleaf sites

bull Brown spot disease on a longleafseedling

Most of these limitations described have been overshy

come or minimized this fact combined with longleafs

high economic value has generated much of the current

interest in longleaf Successful techniques for regenerating

longleaf pine by artificial and natural means have been

developed With proper treatment the grass stage is greatly

reduced and the tree can grow nearly as rapidly as the

other pine species on most sites and better on some

Planting Longleaf

Planting stock for longleaf is produced in two ways

as bare root or seedlings grovln in containers Bare-root

seedlings are those grown in a plant nursery then

removed (lifted) for processing shipping and planting

The bare-root seedling is just that-a tree seedling with

minimal soil attached to the roots This makes it less

expensive and easier to handle in bulk The lifting process

3

however divides part of the root system and can severely

stress seedlings if too many rootgt are removed Comshy

pounded by poor handling and planting stress can greatly

reduce bare-root survival rates compared to those of

seedlings grown in containers

Seedlings in containers are grown individually the soil

mass and plant are planted together Because the root mass

remains intact and relatively undisturbed from germinshy

ation until planting there is less damage to the root

system and less stress upon the seedlings Compared to

bare-root seedlings seedlings in containers generally

survive better move through the grass stage more rapidly

and enable landowners to plant later into the spring

season Even though seedlings in containers cost about

three times more than bare-root seedlings the assurance

of a good stand of longleaf is often worth the cost

bull Longleafpine seedlings in containers

Many earlier plantings with longleaf pine bare-root

seedlings were unsuccessful because the importance of

seedling quality and proper planting technique were not

recognized High-quality bare-root seedlings properly

planted on sites free from woody or herbaceous plant

competition increase survival rates allow the seedlings to

move rapidly through the grass stage and promote rapid

height growth High-quality longleaf seedlings have a rom

collar diameter (RCD) of 04 inch an 8-inch-long

taproot and many lateral roots

Plant the seedling as soon after lifting as possible

Planting dates extend from mid-December to midshy

February in Mississippi but earlier plantings generally

have better survival rates If the seedlings cannot be

planted immediately refrigerate them to reduce mortality

Plant the seedling with the root collar slightly below the

soil surface to protect it from cold temperatures and avoid

planting in periods of climatic stress (low soil moisture

high vvinds low temperatures)

Control competing woody and herbaceous vegetation

before planting and for at least 2 years following planting

Focus on having 300 to 500 live seedlings per acre a year

after planting Consulting successful longleaf plantations

for guidance can save time effort and money

Natural Regeneration

Regenerating longleaf pine naturally reqUires considerable

and careful planning to produce the exact conditions

required by longleaf Regeneration plans include ensuring

an adequate seed supply preparing a proper seedbed

reducing competing vegetation and obtaining adequate

soil moisture

As a stand approaches maturity thin the stand to

medium density leaving the best trees This opens up the

stand promotes crow11 development and leaves the best

4

_ _ _----shy

parent trees This cut is a shelterwood preparatory cut

because it prepares the stand for the future

Table 1 shows the number of trees per acre to leave

after the preparatory cut After about 5 years reduce the

number of trees even further leaving the final seed trees

This is called the shelterwood seed cut and the stand at

this point should appear open It is important to leave

about 30 square feet of basal area per acre of the bestshy

formed and best seed-producing trees after the seed cut

This cut provides good genetic stock and maximizes seed

production yet it allows enough light for seedlings to

begin growth Table 1 also shows the number of trees per

acre to leave after the seed cut

Because longleaf pine is an irregular seed producer it

is important to time treatments to coincide with a good

seed crop To forecast seed crops in the spring use binocshy

ulars to count conelets Roughly 1000 cones per acre or

35 to 50 cones per seed tree generally are needed to

establish an adequate number of seedlings

Table 1

bull Longleafseed trees with about 30 squarefeet ofbasal area

16

Tree Guide for Natural Regeneration of Longleaf Pine

43-50 18-25

1 Prej14rator) tttl corresponds to DO to If) S(]1jrejeel abasal aretl pel acre seed GIlt corresponds to 25 to 35 squareeet (Ibasal area pel flere

5

Seed fall primarily in late October to early November

germinate quickly but cannot penetrate a thick layer of

litter or grass Conducting a prescribed fire or light

scarification 3 to 10 months before seed fall prepares a

good seedbed and enhances seedling survival A burn

conducted too close to seed fall however leaves the

ground open and birds rodents and other animals can

find and may eat much of the seed crop unless it is a

bumper crop

Longleaf does not compete well with other vegetation

Controlling hardwoods and herbaceous weeds with fire

or herbicides (or both) before and after the seed cut

enhances survival and growth of germinated seedlings By

reducing competing plants more water is also available to

seedlings which is particularly important on sandy sites

where water percolates rapidly through the soil profile

Once an adequate number of seedlings (about 6000

per acre) are established remove the parent trees

when seedlings are 1 to 2 years old Having this number

bull Longleafcones andyoung seedlings

of seedlings ensures enough survivors after harvesting the

overstory Delaying the harvest of parent trees increases

seedling mortality

Prescribed Burning

Longleaf pine is a fire-dependent species which means

that fire helps create those conditions reqUired by longleaf

to naturally regenerate It is not immune to fire however

and seedlings less than a year old and seedlings just out of

the grass stage are particularly vulnerable to fire

Prescribed burning prepares a seedbed by exposing

mineral soil and reducing competition from woody and

herbaceous species thus aiding in regeneration In

seedling stands proper burning reduces the amount of

brown spot fungus infection In heavily infected stands

however the infected needles become a fuel source

instead of protecting the bud from the heat of the fire

Burning seedlings under a parent stand is risky and

if necessary must be done carefully to preserve the

seedling stand The fire must be properly prescribed and

controlled or all seedlings beneath the croWIlS of the

parent trees can be lost largely due to high needle fuel

loads located there

To keep competing vegetation in check prescribed

burning is probably best done on about a 3-year cycle

from the sapling stage through maturity Winter burns

are easier to apply but a series of spring burns may

sometimes be required

Prescribed burning also benefits a variety of wildlife

species Longleaf pine forests have a natural high diversity

of understory species and prescribed burning maintains

the open understory and diversity of plant species critical

to wildlife as food Ground-dwelling wildlife such as deer

turkey rabbits and bobwhite quail benefit from proper

burning The vast majority of mammals found in longleaf

6

forests feed on the ground The lack of fire results in

woody vegetation developing and shading out the

important understory species which reduces wildlife

habitat quality

References BoyerW D 1996 Anticipating good longleafpine cone

crops Alabamas TREASURED Forests (15 24- 2 6)

Crocker T c Jr 1987 Longleafpine Ahistory ofman and a forest USDA Forest Service Forestry Report

R8-FR7 (37 pp)

Dennington R w and R M Farrar 1983 Longleaf pine management USDA Forest Service Forestry

Report R8-FR 3 (17 pp)

Dennington R W 1990 Regenerating longleafpine with the shelterwood method USDA Forest Service

Management Bulletin R8-MB 47 (2 pp)

Franklin R M 1997 Stewardship oflongleafpineforests Aguide for landowners Longleaf Alliance Report

No2 (41 pp) The Longleaf Alliance Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center Andalusia Alabama

Landers J L D H Van Lear and W D Boyer 1 995

The longleafpineforests ofthe southeast Requiem or renaissance Journal of Forestry 9339-44

Vanderveer H L 1993 When to use containerized seedlings Forest Farmer 52 17-19 36

Walhenberg W G 1946 Longleafpine Its use ecology regeneration protection growth and management (429 pp) Charles Lathrop Park Forestry

Foundation Washington DC

Proceedings

Farrar R M Jr (1989) The Symposium on the Management qfLongleafPine USDA Forest Service

General Technical Report SO-75 (294 pp)

Hermann S M (1993) The Tall Timbers Fire Ecology

Conference No 18 (418 pp) l1xdongleafpine ecosystem Ecology restoration and management Tall

Timbers Research Station Tallahassee Florida

Kush J S (1996) First Longleaf Alliance Conference

Longleafpine Aregional perspective ofcbattenges and opportunities Longleaf Alliance Report No1

(178 pp)

7

bull bull bull SlSSIPPI

Acknowledgments

Editor Debbie Nettles

Graphic Design and Layout Phillip Smith

Photography The University of Southern Mississippi Archives U S Forest Service Glenn Hughes

Printing Mississippi State University Printing Department

8

~pcentJI

ExtensIon ========== SERVICE

wwwextmsstateedu

Mississippi State UnirJersity does not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion national origin sex age disability or veteran status

By Glenn Hughes PhD Extension Forestry Specialist

Publi(ation 7701

Extension Service of Mississippi State University cooperating with US Department of Agriculture Published in furtherance of Acts

of Congress May 8 and June 30 1914 RONALD A BROWN Director (5M-1-991

however divides part of the root system and can severely

stress seedlings if too many rootgt are removed Comshy

pounded by poor handling and planting stress can greatly

reduce bare-root survival rates compared to those of

seedlings grown in containers

Seedlings in containers are grown individually the soil

mass and plant are planted together Because the root mass

remains intact and relatively undisturbed from germinshy

ation until planting there is less damage to the root

system and less stress upon the seedlings Compared to

bare-root seedlings seedlings in containers generally

survive better move through the grass stage more rapidly

and enable landowners to plant later into the spring

season Even though seedlings in containers cost about

three times more than bare-root seedlings the assurance

of a good stand of longleaf is often worth the cost

bull Longleafpine seedlings in containers

Many earlier plantings with longleaf pine bare-root

seedlings were unsuccessful because the importance of

seedling quality and proper planting technique were not

recognized High-quality bare-root seedlings properly

planted on sites free from woody or herbaceous plant

competition increase survival rates allow the seedlings to

move rapidly through the grass stage and promote rapid

height growth High-quality longleaf seedlings have a rom

collar diameter (RCD) of 04 inch an 8-inch-long

taproot and many lateral roots

Plant the seedling as soon after lifting as possible

Planting dates extend from mid-December to midshy

February in Mississippi but earlier plantings generally

have better survival rates If the seedlings cannot be

planted immediately refrigerate them to reduce mortality

Plant the seedling with the root collar slightly below the

soil surface to protect it from cold temperatures and avoid

planting in periods of climatic stress (low soil moisture

high vvinds low temperatures)

Control competing woody and herbaceous vegetation

before planting and for at least 2 years following planting

Focus on having 300 to 500 live seedlings per acre a year

after planting Consulting successful longleaf plantations

for guidance can save time effort and money

Natural Regeneration

Regenerating longleaf pine naturally reqUires considerable

and careful planning to produce the exact conditions

required by longleaf Regeneration plans include ensuring

an adequate seed supply preparing a proper seedbed

reducing competing vegetation and obtaining adequate

soil moisture

As a stand approaches maturity thin the stand to

medium density leaving the best trees This opens up the

stand promotes crow11 development and leaves the best

4

_ _ _----shy

parent trees This cut is a shelterwood preparatory cut

because it prepares the stand for the future

Table 1 shows the number of trees per acre to leave

after the preparatory cut After about 5 years reduce the

number of trees even further leaving the final seed trees

This is called the shelterwood seed cut and the stand at

this point should appear open It is important to leave

about 30 square feet of basal area per acre of the bestshy

formed and best seed-producing trees after the seed cut

This cut provides good genetic stock and maximizes seed

production yet it allows enough light for seedlings to

begin growth Table 1 also shows the number of trees per

acre to leave after the seed cut

Because longleaf pine is an irregular seed producer it

is important to time treatments to coincide with a good

seed crop To forecast seed crops in the spring use binocshy

ulars to count conelets Roughly 1000 cones per acre or

35 to 50 cones per seed tree generally are needed to

establish an adequate number of seedlings

Table 1

bull Longleafseed trees with about 30 squarefeet ofbasal area

16

Tree Guide for Natural Regeneration of Longleaf Pine

43-50 18-25

1 Prej14rator) tttl corresponds to DO to If) S(]1jrejeel abasal aretl pel acre seed GIlt corresponds to 25 to 35 squareeet (Ibasal area pel flere

5

Seed fall primarily in late October to early November

germinate quickly but cannot penetrate a thick layer of

litter or grass Conducting a prescribed fire or light

scarification 3 to 10 months before seed fall prepares a

good seedbed and enhances seedling survival A burn

conducted too close to seed fall however leaves the

ground open and birds rodents and other animals can

find and may eat much of the seed crop unless it is a

bumper crop

Longleaf does not compete well with other vegetation

Controlling hardwoods and herbaceous weeds with fire

or herbicides (or both) before and after the seed cut

enhances survival and growth of germinated seedlings By

reducing competing plants more water is also available to

seedlings which is particularly important on sandy sites

where water percolates rapidly through the soil profile

Once an adequate number of seedlings (about 6000

per acre) are established remove the parent trees

when seedlings are 1 to 2 years old Having this number

bull Longleafcones andyoung seedlings

of seedlings ensures enough survivors after harvesting the

overstory Delaying the harvest of parent trees increases

seedling mortality

Prescribed Burning

Longleaf pine is a fire-dependent species which means

that fire helps create those conditions reqUired by longleaf

to naturally regenerate It is not immune to fire however

and seedlings less than a year old and seedlings just out of

the grass stage are particularly vulnerable to fire

Prescribed burning prepares a seedbed by exposing

mineral soil and reducing competition from woody and

herbaceous species thus aiding in regeneration In

seedling stands proper burning reduces the amount of

brown spot fungus infection In heavily infected stands

however the infected needles become a fuel source

instead of protecting the bud from the heat of the fire

Burning seedlings under a parent stand is risky and

if necessary must be done carefully to preserve the

seedling stand The fire must be properly prescribed and

controlled or all seedlings beneath the croWIlS of the

parent trees can be lost largely due to high needle fuel

loads located there

To keep competing vegetation in check prescribed

burning is probably best done on about a 3-year cycle

from the sapling stage through maturity Winter burns

are easier to apply but a series of spring burns may

sometimes be required

Prescribed burning also benefits a variety of wildlife

species Longleaf pine forests have a natural high diversity

of understory species and prescribed burning maintains

the open understory and diversity of plant species critical

to wildlife as food Ground-dwelling wildlife such as deer

turkey rabbits and bobwhite quail benefit from proper

burning The vast majority of mammals found in longleaf

6

forests feed on the ground The lack of fire results in

woody vegetation developing and shading out the

important understory species which reduces wildlife

habitat quality

References BoyerW D 1996 Anticipating good longleafpine cone

crops Alabamas TREASURED Forests (15 24- 2 6)

Crocker T c Jr 1987 Longleafpine Ahistory ofman and a forest USDA Forest Service Forestry Report

R8-FR7 (37 pp)

Dennington R w and R M Farrar 1983 Longleaf pine management USDA Forest Service Forestry

Report R8-FR 3 (17 pp)

Dennington R W 1990 Regenerating longleafpine with the shelterwood method USDA Forest Service

Management Bulletin R8-MB 47 (2 pp)

Franklin R M 1997 Stewardship oflongleafpineforests Aguide for landowners Longleaf Alliance Report

No2 (41 pp) The Longleaf Alliance Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center Andalusia Alabama

Landers J L D H Van Lear and W D Boyer 1 995

The longleafpineforests ofthe southeast Requiem or renaissance Journal of Forestry 9339-44

Vanderveer H L 1993 When to use containerized seedlings Forest Farmer 52 17-19 36

Walhenberg W G 1946 Longleafpine Its use ecology regeneration protection growth and management (429 pp) Charles Lathrop Park Forestry

Foundation Washington DC

Proceedings

Farrar R M Jr (1989) The Symposium on the Management qfLongleafPine USDA Forest Service

General Technical Report SO-75 (294 pp)

Hermann S M (1993) The Tall Timbers Fire Ecology

Conference No 18 (418 pp) l1xdongleafpine ecosystem Ecology restoration and management Tall

Timbers Research Station Tallahassee Florida

Kush J S (1996) First Longleaf Alliance Conference

Longleafpine Aregional perspective ofcbattenges and opportunities Longleaf Alliance Report No1

(178 pp)

7

bull bull bull SlSSIPPI

Acknowledgments

Editor Debbie Nettles

Graphic Design and Layout Phillip Smith

Photography The University of Southern Mississippi Archives U S Forest Service Glenn Hughes

Printing Mississippi State University Printing Department

8

~pcentJI

ExtensIon ========== SERVICE

wwwextmsstateedu

Mississippi State UnirJersity does not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion national origin sex age disability or veteran status

By Glenn Hughes PhD Extension Forestry Specialist

Publi(ation 7701

Extension Service of Mississippi State University cooperating with US Department of Agriculture Published in furtherance of Acts

of Congress May 8 and June 30 1914 RONALD A BROWN Director (5M-1-991

_ _ _----shy

parent trees This cut is a shelterwood preparatory cut

because it prepares the stand for the future

Table 1 shows the number of trees per acre to leave

after the preparatory cut After about 5 years reduce the

number of trees even further leaving the final seed trees

This is called the shelterwood seed cut and the stand at

this point should appear open It is important to leave

about 30 square feet of basal area per acre of the bestshy

formed and best seed-producing trees after the seed cut

This cut provides good genetic stock and maximizes seed

production yet it allows enough light for seedlings to

begin growth Table 1 also shows the number of trees per

acre to leave after the seed cut

Because longleaf pine is an irregular seed producer it

is important to time treatments to coincide with a good

seed crop To forecast seed crops in the spring use binocshy

ulars to count conelets Roughly 1000 cones per acre or

35 to 50 cones per seed tree generally are needed to

establish an adequate number of seedlings

Table 1

bull Longleafseed trees with about 30 squarefeet ofbasal area

16

Tree Guide for Natural Regeneration of Longleaf Pine

43-50 18-25

1 Prej14rator) tttl corresponds to DO to If) S(]1jrejeel abasal aretl pel acre seed GIlt corresponds to 25 to 35 squareeet (Ibasal area pel flere

5

Seed fall primarily in late October to early November

germinate quickly but cannot penetrate a thick layer of

litter or grass Conducting a prescribed fire or light

scarification 3 to 10 months before seed fall prepares a

good seedbed and enhances seedling survival A burn

conducted too close to seed fall however leaves the

ground open and birds rodents and other animals can

find and may eat much of the seed crop unless it is a

bumper crop

Longleaf does not compete well with other vegetation

Controlling hardwoods and herbaceous weeds with fire

or herbicides (or both) before and after the seed cut

enhances survival and growth of germinated seedlings By

reducing competing plants more water is also available to

seedlings which is particularly important on sandy sites

where water percolates rapidly through the soil profile

Once an adequate number of seedlings (about 6000

per acre) are established remove the parent trees

when seedlings are 1 to 2 years old Having this number

bull Longleafcones andyoung seedlings

of seedlings ensures enough survivors after harvesting the

overstory Delaying the harvest of parent trees increases

seedling mortality

Prescribed Burning

Longleaf pine is a fire-dependent species which means

that fire helps create those conditions reqUired by longleaf

to naturally regenerate It is not immune to fire however

and seedlings less than a year old and seedlings just out of

the grass stage are particularly vulnerable to fire

Prescribed burning prepares a seedbed by exposing

mineral soil and reducing competition from woody and

herbaceous species thus aiding in regeneration In

seedling stands proper burning reduces the amount of

brown spot fungus infection In heavily infected stands

however the infected needles become a fuel source

instead of protecting the bud from the heat of the fire

Burning seedlings under a parent stand is risky and

if necessary must be done carefully to preserve the

seedling stand The fire must be properly prescribed and

controlled or all seedlings beneath the croWIlS of the

parent trees can be lost largely due to high needle fuel

loads located there

To keep competing vegetation in check prescribed

burning is probably best done on about a 3-year cycle

from the sapling stage through maturity Winter burns

are easier to apply but a series of spring burns may

sometimes be required

Prescribed burning also benefits a variety of wildlife

species Longleaf pine forests have a natural high diversity

of understory species and prescribed burning maintains

the open understory and diversity of plant species critical

to wildlife as food Ground-dwelling wildlife such as deer

turkey rabbits and bobwhite quail benefit from proper

burning The vast majority of mammals found in longleaf

6

forests feed on the ground The lack of fire results in

woody vegetation developing and shading out the

important understory species which reduces wildlife

habitat quality

References BoyerW D 1996 Anticipating good longleafpine cone

crops Alabamas TREASURED Forests (15 24- 2 6)

Crocker T c Jr 1987 Longleafpine Ahistory ofman and a forest USDA Forest Service Forestry Report

R8-FR7 (37 pp)

Dennington R w and R M Farrar 1983 Longleaf pine management USDA Forest Service Forestry

Report R8-FR 3 (17 pp)

Dennington R W 1990 Regenerating longleafpine with the shelterwood method USDA Forest Service

Management Bulletin R8-MB 47 (2 pp)

Franklin R M 1997 Stewardship oflongleafpineforests Aguide for landowners Longleaf Alliance Report

No2 (41 pp) The Longleaf Alliance Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center Andalusia Alabama

Landers J L D H Van Lear and W D Boyer 1 995

The longleafpineforests ofthe southeast Requiem or renaissance Journal of Forestry 9339-44

Vanderveer H L 1993 When to use containerized seedlings Forest Farmer 52 17-19 36

Walhenberg W G 1946 Longleafpine Its use ecology regeneration protection growth and management (429 pp) Charles Lathrop Park Forestry

Foundation Washington DC

Proceedings

Farrar R M Jr (1989) The Symposium on the Management qfLongleafPine USDA Forest Service

General Technical Report SO-75 (294 pp)

Hermann S M (1993) The Tall Timbers Fire Ecology

Conference No 18 (418 pp) l1xdongleafpine ecosystem Ecology restoration and management Tall

Timbers Research Station Tallahassee Florida

Kush J S (1996) First Longleaf Alliance Conference

Longleafpine Aregional perspective ofcbattenges and opportunities Longleaf Alliance Report No1

(178 pp)

7

bull bull bull SlSSIPPI

Acknowledgments

Editor Debbie Nettles

Graphic Design and Layout Phillip Smith

Photography The University of Southern Mississippi Archives U S Forest Service Glenn Hughes

Printing Mississippi State University Printing Department

8

~pcentJI

ExtensIon ========== SERVICE

wwwextmsstateedu

Mississippi State UnirJersity does not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion national origin sex age disability or veteran status

By Glenn Hughes PhD Extension Forestry Specialist

Publi(ation 7701

Extension Service of Mississippi State University cooperating with US Department of Agriculture Published in furtherance of Acts

of Congress May 8 and June 30 1914 RONALD A BROWN Director (5M-1-991

Seed fall primarily in late October to early November

germinate quickly but cannot penetrate a thick layer of

litter or grass Conducting a prescribed fire or light

scarification 3 to 10 months before seed fall prepares a

good seedbed and enhances seedling survival A burn

conducted too close to seed fall however leaves the

ground open and birds rodents and other animals can

find and may eat much of the seed crop unless it is a

bumper crop

Longleaf does not compete well with other vegetation

Controlling hardwoods and herbaceous weeds with fire

or herbicides (or both) before and after the seed cut

enhances survival and growth of germinated seedlings By

reducing competing plants more water is also available to

seedlings which is particularly important on sandy sites

where water percolates rapidly through the soil profile

Once an adequate number of seedlings (about 6000

per acre) are established remove the parent trees

when seedlings are 1 to 2 years old Having this number

bull Longleafcones andyoung seedlings

of seedlings ensures enough survivors after harvesting the

overstory Delaying the harvest of parent trees increases

seedling mortality

Prescribed Burning

Longleaf pine is a fire-dependent species which means

that fire helps create those conditions reqUired by longleaf

to naturally regenerate It is not immune to fire however

and seedlings less than a year old and seedlings just out of

the grass stage are particularly vulnerable to fire

Prescribed burning prepares a seedbed by exposing

mineral soil and reducing competition from woody and

herbaceous species thus aiding in regeneration In

seedling stands proper burning reduces the amount of

brown spot fungus infection In heavily infected stands

however the infected needles become a fuel source

instead of protecting the bud from the heat of the fire

Burning seedlings under a parent stand is risky and

if necessary must be done carefully to preserve the

seedling stand The fire must be properly prescribed and

controlled or all seedlings beneath the croWIlS of the

parent trees can be lost largely due to high needle fuel

loads located there

To keep competing vegetation in check prescribed

burning is probably best done on about a 3-year cycle

from the sapling stage through maturity Winter burns

are easier to apply but a series of spring burns may

sometimes be required

Prescribed burning also benefits a variety of wildlife

species Longleaf pine forests have a natural high diversity

of understory species and prescribed burning maintains

the open understory and diversity of plant species critical

to wildlife as food Ground-dwelling wildlife such as deer

turkey rabbits and bobwhite quail benefit from proper

burning The vast majority of mammals found in longleaf

6

forests feed on the ground The lack of fire results in

woody vegetation developing and shading out the

important understory species which reduces wildlife

habitat quality

References BoyerW D 1996 Anticipating good longleafpine cone

crops Alabamas TREASURED Forests (15 24- 2 6)

Crocker T c Jr 1987 Longleafpine Ahistory ofman and a forest USDA Forest Service Forestry Report

R8-FR7 (37 pp)

Dennington R w and R M Farrar 1983 Longleaf pine management USDA Forest Service Forestry

Report R8-FR 3 (17 pp)

Dennington R W 1990 Regenerating longleafpine with the shelterwood method USDA Forest Service

Management Bulletin R8-MB 47 (2 pp)

Franklin R M 1997 Stewardship oflongleafpineforests Aguide for landowners Longleaf Alliance Report

No2 (41 pp) The Longleaf Alliance Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center Andalusia Alabama

Landers J L D H Van Lear and W D Boyer 1 995

The longleafpineforests ofthe southeast Requiem or renaissance Journal of Forestry 9339-44

Vanderveer H L 1993 When to use containerized seedlings Forest Farmer 52 17-19 36

Walhenberg W G 1946 Longleafpine Its use ecology regeneration protection growth and management (429 pp) Charles Lathrop Park Forestry

Foundation Washington DC

Proceedings

Farrar R M Jr (1989) The Symposium on the Management qfLongleafPine USDA Forest Service

General Technical Report SO-75 (294 pp)

Hermann S M (1993) The Tall Timbers Fire Ecology

Conference No 18 (418 pp) l1xdongleafpine ecosystem Ecology restoration and management Tall

Timbers Research Station Tallahassee Florida

Kush J S (1996) First Longleaf Alliance Conference

Longleafpine Aregional perspective ofcbattenges and opportunities Longleaf Alliance Report No1

(178 pp)

7

bull bull bull SlSSIPPI

Acknowledgments

Editor Debbie Nettles

Graphic Design and Layout Phillip Smith

Photography The University of Southern Mississippi Archives U S Forest Service Glenn Hughes

Printing Mississippi State University Printing Department

8

~pcentJI

ExtensIon ========== SERVICE

wwwextmsstateedu

Mississippi State UnirJersity does not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion national origin sex age disability or veteran status

By Glenn Hughes PhD Extension Forestry Specialist

Publi(ation 7701

Extension Service of Mississippi State University cooperating with US Department of Agriculture Published in furtherance of Acts

of Congress May 8 and June 30 1914 RONALD A BROWN Director (5M-1-991

forests feed on the ground The lack of fire results in

woody vegetation developing and shading out the

important understory species which reduces wildlife

habitat quality

References BoyerW D 1996 Anticipating good longleafpine cone

crops Alabamas TREASURED Forests (15 24- 2 6)

Crocker T c Jr 1987 Longleafpine Ahistory ofman and a forest USDA Forest Service Forestry Report

R8-FR7 (37 pp)

Dennington R w and R M Farrar 1983 Longleaf pine management USDA Forest Service Forestry

Report R8-FR 3 (17 pp)

Dennington R W 1990 Regenerating longleafpine with the shelterwood method USDA Forest Service

Management Bulletin R8-MB 47 (2 pp)

Franklin R M 1997 Stewardship oflongleafpineforests Aguide for landowners Longleaf Alliance Report

No2 (41 pp) The Longleaf Alliance Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center Andalusia Alabama

Landers J L D H Van Lear and W D Boyer 1 995

The longleafpineforests ofthe southeast Requiem or renaissance Journal of Forestry 9339-44

Vanderveer H L 1993 When to use containerized seedlings Forest Farmer 52 17-19 36

Walhenberg W G 1946 Longleafpine Its use ecology regeneration protection growth and management (429 pp) Charles Lathrop Park Forestry

Foundation Washington DC

Proceedings

Farrar R M Jr (1989) The Symposium on the Management qfLongleafPine USDA Forest Service

General Technical Report SO-75 (294 pp)

Hermann S M (1993) The Tall Timbers Fire Ecology

Conference No 18 (418 pp) l1xdongleafpine ecosystem Ecology restoration and management Tall

Timbers Research Station Tallahassee Florida

Kush J S (1996) First Longleaf Alliance Conference

Longleafpine Aregional perspective ofcbattenges and opportunities Longleaf Alliance Report No1

(178 pp)

7

bull bull bull SlSSIPPI

Acknowledgments

Editor Debbie Nettles

Graphic Design and Layout Phillip Smith

Photography The University of Southern Mississippi Archives U S Forest Service Glenn Hughes

Printing Mississippi State University Printing Department

8

~pcentJI

ExtensIon ========== SERVICE

wwwextmsstateedu

Mississippi State UnirJersity does not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion national origin sex age disability or veteran status

By Glenn Hughes PhD Extension Forestry Specialist

Publi(ation 7701

Extension Service of Mississippi State University cooperating with US Department of Agriculture Published in furtherance of Acts

of Congress May 8 and June 30 1914 RONALD A BROWN Director (5M-1-991

bull bull bull SlSSIPPI

Acknowledgments

Editor Debbie Nettles

Graphic Design and Layout Phillip Smith

Photography The University of Southern Mississippi Archives U S Forest Service Glenn Hughes

Printing Mississippi State University Printing Department

8

~pcentJI

ExtensIon ========== SERVICE

wwwextmsstateedu

Mississippi State UnirJersity does not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion national origin sex age disability or veteran status

By Glenn Hughes PhD Extension Forestry Specialist

Publi(ation 7701

Extension Service of Mississippi State University cooperating with US Department of Agriculture Published in furtherance of Acts

of Congress May 8 and June 30 1914 RONALD A BROWN Director (5M-1-991

~pcentJI

ExtensIon ========== SERVICE

wwwextmsstateedu

Mississippi State UnirJersity does not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion national origin sex age disability or veteran status

By Glenn Hughes PhD Extension Forestry Specialist

Publi(ation 7701

Extension Service of Mississippi State University cooperating with US Department of Agriculture Published in furtherance of Acts

of Congress May 8 and June 30 1914 RONALD A BROWN Director (5M-1-991