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Viability of litter-stored Pinus taeda L. seeds after simulated prescribed winter burns

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Stratified loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seeds were placed at three depths in a reconstructed forest floor and subjected to simulated prescribed winter burns. Within the forest floor, pine seeds were placed at the L/upper-F interface, upper-F/lower-F interface, and lower-F/mineral-soil interface. Wind was generated by electric box-fans. Seeds that survived the burns were transferred to moist sand flats for 30-day germination tests. About 96% of seeds placed at the two upper layers in the forest floor were either destroyed by the fires or failed to germinate. Germinative capacity of seeds placed at the lower-F/mineral-soil interface averaged 79% as compared to 97% for unburned control seeds.

Keywords

Loblolly pine, natural regeneration, seed bank, southeastern Arkansas

Citation

Cain, Michael D.; Shelton, Michael G. 1998. Viability of litter-stored Pinus taeda L. seeds after simulated prescribed winter burns. New Forests 16: I-10, 1998.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/696