38lumber, pulp, and naval stores. Because of its tall, straight form, longleaf was used as masts for...
Transcript of 38lumber, pulp, and naval stores. Because of its tall, straight form, longleaf was used as masts for...
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
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