Influence of Residual Basal Area on Longleaf Pine ( Pinus palustris Mill.) First Year Germination and Establishment under Selection Silviculture

Abstract

Even-aged silvicultural methods have been successfully used to manage longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forests for wood production; however, successful use of uneven-aged methods to manage this ecosystem is less well documented. In this study, the effects of varying levels of residual basal area (RBA) (9.2, 13.8, and 18.4 m2∙ha−1) on longleaf pine germination and establishment under selection silviculture marked using the Proportional-B method were observed. In addition to RBA, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was measured, and the relationships between light penetration, germination, and growth were examined. The study found an inverse relationship between RBA and the number of germinants, but the mortality of germinants was not influenced by RBA. PAR also had a significant positive effect on germination, but, did not affect mortality of germinants. In addition, RBA and PAR had no effect on mortality or growth of planted seedlings.