An assessment of first and second rotations average dominant/codominant height growth for slash pine plantations in south Georgia and north Florida
Rose, C.E.; Shiver, B.D.
Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 26(2): 61-71
2002
DOI: 10.1093/sjaf/26.2.61
Accession: 010157115
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A slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) successive rotation plantation study was established in 1978-1979 for the north Florida and south Georgia flatwoods. 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 dominant/codominant height differential across a range of soil types and ages. There is a significant rotation 1 minus rotation 2 mean dominant/codominant height difference across the sites for all ages. Rotation 1 is 1.9 and 5.4 ft higher for mean dominant/codominant height at ages 2 and 20. The height differential is generally more significant for the spodosol soil type than the nonspodosol soil type. 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 growing season average temperatures during the first two growing seasons, while rotation 1 was near normal for this period. The evidence suggests that a main contributor to the decrease in mean dominant/codominant height across the spectrum of plots and age classes is the generally less favorable climatic growing season conditions experienced by rotation 2 relative to rotation 1.