Identifier

etd-01162007-115703

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Renewable Natural Resources

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Land for forest plantations is declining while demand for forest products is increasing, creating concern over sustainable forest management. Maintenance of site productivity is fundamental to forest sustainability, and an assessment of cumulative height growth is a useful index of productivity. Loblolly pine height data were used from four research plantations installed by the project Cooperative Research in Sustainable Silviculture and Soil Productivity from Texas to Georgia. The sites vary in soil characteristics, management history, nutrient status at time of planting, and age (from 4 to 9 years). Each site is a randomized complete block design with a factorial treatment arrangement of harvesting practices (minimum and maximum disturbance) and different establishment practices (e.g., bedding, fertilization, herbaceous weed control, herbaceous weed control plus fertilizer, and burning). An integrated statistical analysis using the change in height with age was used for the evaluation of longer-term treatment effects. Harvesting practices had a significant treatment effect on the change in height with age (p < 0.03) at one site, but did not significantly affect early height growth at the other three sites (p > 0.37). On the other hand, establishment practices had a significant effect on the change in height with age (p < 0.01), independent of accompanying harvesting practice.

Date

2007

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Thomas J. Dean

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.4019

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