Tree Planters’ Notes United States Department of Agriculture Spring 2013 Forest Service Volume 56, No. 1 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Tree Planters’ Notes (TPN) is dedicated to tech- nology transfer and publication of information Dear TPN Reader relating to nursery production and outplanting of trees and shrubs for reforestation, restoration, Spring greetings! This issue of Tree Planters’ Notes (TPN) may be the lengthiest and conservation. TPN is sponsored by the Cooperative Forestry Staff one ever published! The nine articles contained herein provide a variety of informa- of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest tion for anyone interested in growing and planting trees anywhere in the world. Service, State and Private Forestry Deputy Area, in Washington, DC. The Secretary of Agriculture has determined that the publication of this periodical I’m pleased to include articles from Pennsylvania and Louisiana as part of the ongoing is necessary in the transaction of public business TPN series to highlight past and present tree planting activities in every State. In the required by law of this Department. Louisiana article, there is mention of Phil Wakely’s and James Barnett’s pivotal work Editor: Diane L. Haase to develop nursery technology for southern pines. It happens that James Barnett also TPN accepts both technical and research articles; each is reviewed by the editor and/or anonymous submitted an article for this issue of TPN in which he provides even more detail referees. Please see the Guidelines for Authors about the history of reforestation technology for southern pines. at the end of the journal for details about editorial policy, formatting, style, and submission. Guidelines can also be accessed on line at http://www.rngr. A unique aspect of TPN is its emphasis on practical information that is readily useful net/publications/tpn/author_guidelines. to the practitioner. This journal provides a home for publications that instruct, inform, Individual authors are responsible for the accuracy describe, and provide perspective on current programs, research, and technologies in of the material in their respective articles. The mention of commercial products in this publication is solely a manner that is factually and scientifically sound while still being easily understood. for the information of the reader, and endorsement This issue is no exception. It contains useful guidelines for collecting and stratifying is not intended by the Forest Service or USDA. On occasion, this publication reports information common juniper seed, a detailed description of the steps necessary for successful involving pesticides. It does not contain recom- controlled crosses of coastal Douglas-fir, a comparison of planting tools for longleaf mendations for their use, nor does it imply that the uses discussed here have been registered. All uses pine seedlings, an examination of methods to increase seed germination of an impor - of pesticides must be registered by appropriate tant species in tropical dry forests, a summary of a trial to determine the effects of State and/or Federal agencies before they can a short-day treatment on black spruce seedling quality, and a study on the effect of be recommended. Caution: pesticides can injure humans, domestic animals, desirable plants, and storage on pathogen development on red pine seedlings. fish and other wildlife if they are not handled or applied properly. Be sure to read and understand all label instructions. Use all pesticides selectively I encourage you to submit your article for publication in TPN, as well as to offer and carefully. Follow recommended practices for suggestions for future article topics or potential authors. If you have a project or the disposal of surplus pesticides and pesticide containers. program that would be a good subject for a TPN article but have never written an The use of trade or firm names in this publication is article before, there is no need to worry! Many articles arrive in a rather rough form for reader information and does not imply endorse- but I am happy to assist authors in making necessary revisions so that the final ment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service. article is clear, concise, and informative. Web site: http://www.RNGR.net/publications/tpn Best wishes for a great 2013 planting season! E-mail: [email protected] Printed on recycled paper. Spring 2013 Diane L. Haase 1 Volume 56, No. 1 (2013) 2 Tree Planters’ Notes Volume 56, Number 1 (2013) Contents TPN SERIES: Tree Planting State by State The State of Penn’s Woods 4 Tina M. Alban and Edward Dix A Brief History of Reforestation and Restoration in Louisiana 13 SEE PAGE 25 Randy Rentz Guidelines for Seed Collection and Stratification of Common Juniper (Juniperus communis L.) 24 Shelagh A. McCartan and Peter G. Gosling Comparing Seven Planting Tools for Container-Grown Longleaf Pine Seedlings 30 James D. Haywood, Daniel J. Leduc, and Shi-Jean Susana Sung Root Growth, Plug Cohesion, Mineral Nutrition, and Carbohydrate Content of 1+0 Picea mariana Seedlings in Response to a Short-Day Treatment 35 Mohammed S. Lamhamedi, Mario Renaud, Pascal Desjardins, and Linda Veilleux SEE PAGE 55 Storage Conditions Influence Cultural Detection of the Shoot Blight Pathogen Diplodia pinea From Asymptomatic Red Pine Nursery Seedlings 47 Glen R. Stanosz, Denise R. Smith, and Jana Albers Developing Reforestation Technology for Southern Pines: A Historical Perspective 54 James Barnett Coastal Douglas-Fir Controlled-Crossing Guidelines 60 Keith J.S. Jayawickrama, Lawrence K. Miller, and Daniel W. Cress Increasing Seed Germination of Bursera graveolens, a Promising Tree for the Restoration of Tropical Dry Forests 74 Michael Morgan and Shibu Jose Guidelines for Authors 84 3 Volume 56, No. 1 (2013) The State of Penn’s Woods Tina M. Alban and Edward Dix Forest Nursery Operations Manager, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Spring Mills, PA; Botanist, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Harrisburg, PA Abstract The statewide annual precipitation averages 41.2 in (105 cm). The central counties in the rain shadow east of the Allegheny Pennsylvania has a legacy of rich forest resources. During Plateau are slightly drier than the eastern and western borders. the late 1800s, Pennsylvania supported the Nation’s largest lumber industry, which led to overharvesting, uncontrolled Prehistoric pollen deposits indicate that this region support- wildfires, and heavy soil erosion. The Pennsylvania ed tundra and spruce woodlands as the last glaciations Legislature authorized a Forestry Commission and Forest ended 14,000 years ago. About this time, the first people to Reserve System in 1897 to rehabilitate the State’s decimated explore Pennsylvania left stone spear points and scrapers in forest and water resources. In 1902, the agency’s first forest rock shelters and seasonal campsites across the postglacial nursery at Mont Alto produced more than 10,000 eastern landscape. Over the next several thousand years, the clim- white pine seedlings. This organization evolved into today’s ate warmed. New tree species —oaks, chestnut, hickories, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources with pines, and hemlocks—migrated north, providing a wealth of a Bureau of Forestry (BOF) and Bureau of State Parks new forest resources. The descendants of hunter-gatherers managing 2.2 million ac (890,000 ha) of State forest lands and developed village life and subsistence agriculture. 120 State parks. Annual seedling production peaked in 1950 with three BOF nurseries distributing more than 29 million European settlers arriving in the 1600s described the land seedlings. Additional public and private nurseries produced as primarily forested but broken by rivers, wetlands, natural millions more. Today, the State has 16.6 million ac (6.7 barrens, and Native American village clearings. “Indian million ha) of predominantly Appalachian oak and northern fields” were kept open, using fire to manage the landscape. hardwood forests, making this combination the dominant land Forests covered more than 90 percent of Pennsylvania’s cover across the entire 28.7 million ac (11.6 million ha) of 28.7-million-ac (11.6-million-ha) land area. the State. Of the original four State nurseries, Penn Nursery The newcomers’ consequent use of forest resources drama- is the only BOF nursery still operating; it provides in excess tically changed the land cover of Pennsylvania. European of 1 million seedlings of more than 40 different Pennsylvania Americans cleared the southeastern counties for agriculture