Comparison of the Survival and Growth of West Gulf Coastal Plain Pine in East Texas

<p>West Gulf Coastal Plain provenance loblolly <em>(Pinus taeda</em> L.), longleaf (<em>Pinus palustris</em> Mill.), shortleaf (<em>Pinus echinata</em> Mill.), and slash pines (<em>Pinus elliottii</em> Engelm.) were planted in East Texas to compare initial growth and survival. Containerized seedlings were planted in December 2015 on three study sites in Shelby, Houston, and Cherokee counties using a randomized complete block design. Seedlings were measured in January-February 2016 and again January-February 2017, January 2018, and January 2019. Three years after planting, survival was best (76.4%) in Houston County and was lowest in Cherokee County (26.4). Damage by Texas leafcutter ants (<em>Atta texana</em>) caused significant mortality in Cherokee County, while feral hog (<em>Sus scrofa</em>) herbivory and uprooting greatly affected survival in Houston and Shelby counties. Tree heights were greater in loblolly and slash pine than in shortleaf and longleaf pine, while diameters were greater in loblolly than slash and shortleaf pine, which where greater than longleaf diameters. Height and survival rates were greater in Shelby County and were least in Cherokee County. Tree height was affected by soil moisture and texture, while plant moisture stress did not affect aboveground production.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science - Forestry

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Forestry

Year dc:date.available

2019

Author dc:creator

• Hooker, Jamie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Brian P. Oswald
• Jeremy P. Stovall
• Hans M. Williams

• pine
• West Gulf Coastal Plain
• seedling survival
• growth
• soils
• Forest Biology
• Forest Management
• Forest Sciences
• Other Forestry and Forest Sciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/246

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.sfasu.edu:etds-1301