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Assessment of Dominant/Codominant Height Growth for Second Rotation Slash Pine Plantations in South Georgia and North Florida

Informally Refereed

Abstract

A slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) successive rotation plantation study was established in 1978-79 for the north Florida and south Georgia fiatwoods. The second rotation duplicated the first rotation seed source, site preparation, planting method, and density. The comparison between the two rotations is based on the mean height differential for the spectrum and by soil type for each age class. There is a significant rotation 1 minus rotation 2 height difference for all age classes. Rotation 1 is 1.9 and 5.4 ft higher for mean height at ages 2 and 20. Rotation 1 generally experienced more favorable precipitation, for both the amount and timing of the precipitation within a year, than rotation 2. Rotation 2 experienced drought events and high temperatures during the first two growing seasons, while rotation 1 was near normal for this period. The evidence suggests that the main contributor to the decrease in height across the spectrum of plots and age classes is the less favorable overall growing season climatic conditions experienced by rotation 2 relative to rotation 1.

Citation

Rose, Charles E., Jr; Shiver, Barry D. 2002. Assessment of Dominant/Codominant Height Growth for Second Rotation Slash Pine Plantations in South Georgia and North Florida. In: Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-48. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pg. 525-529
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/4880