Slash Pine: Still Growing and Growing! and Growing! Growing Still Pine: Slash Slash Pine: Still Growing and Growing! Proceedings of the Slash Pine Symposium Jekyll Island, Georgia April 23–25, 2002 Proceedings of the Slash Pine Symposium Symposium Pine of the Slash Proceedings 2004 The Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is dedicated to the principle of multiple use management of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of wood, water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with the States and private forest owners, and management of the National Forests and National Grasslands, it strives—as directed by Congress—to provide increasingly greater service to a growing Nation. United States The USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and Department of activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, Agriculture political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or familial status (not all prohibited bases apply to all programs). Persons with Forest Service disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Southern Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Research Station Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity General Technical employer. Report SRS-76 The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information and does not imply endorsement of any product or service by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or other organizations represented here. PESTICIDE PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENT This publication reports research involving pesticides. It does not contain recommenda- tions for their use, nor does it imply that the uses discussed here have been registered. All uses of pesticides must be registered by appropriate State and/or Federal agencies before they can be recommended. CAUTION: Pesticides can be injurious to humans, domestic animals, desirable plants, and fish or other wildlife if they are not handled or applied properly. Use all pesticides selectively and carefully. Follow recommended practices for the disposal of surplus pesticides and their containers. Slash Pine: Still Growing and Growing! Proceedings of the Slash Pine Symposium Jekyll Island, Georgia April 23–25, 2002 Edited by E.D. Dickens, J.P. Barnett, W.G. Hubbard, and E.J. Jokela Hosted by Florida and Georgia Divisions of the Southeastern Society of American Foresters The University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forest Resources University of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Regional Extension Forestry Sponsored by Florida and Georgia Divisions of the Southeastern Society of American Foresters The University of Georgia, Warnell School of Forest Resources University of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation The Florida Division of Forestry The Georgia Forestry Commission The Georgia Center of Continuing Education U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Regional Extension Forestry U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, Southern Region Published by U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southern Research Station Asheville, North Carolina 28804 December 2004 i Preface This general technical report on slash pine is printed 20 years after an earlier proceedings, “The Managed Slash Pine Ecosystem” was published. It was evident in 1983 that loblolly pine was becoming the species of choice where either species could be planted, especially in areas where fiber-volume production was a high priority. Since 1997–98, forest industry activities, pine pulpwood stumpage prices, timberland ownership patterns, and the economics of growing southern pines have dramatically changed in the Southeastern United States. Many scientists and land managers are rethinking species/site selection, cash outlays, and forest management intensities. The authors of this proceedings decided to share their new knowledge of slash pine. Slash pine continues to be an important species of southern yellow pine on the southeastern Coastal Plain. While its native range is more limited than any other southern yellow pine, its value as raw material for wood products ranks third behind loblolly and shortleaf pine. Although slash pine may not produce as much wood volume or fiber on many of the sites where both loblolly and slash pine are found, it can produce more high-value, high-grade lumber than loblolly pine. Some of the papers in this proceedings either compare or include loblolly pine as a research subject, because these two species often are the only choice of pine species in the southeastern Coastal Plain. The authors’ intent is to give land managers an up-to-date guidebook on slash pine management. Although we have learned much in the last 20 years, there is still much we have to learn. The 1983 managed slash pine ecosystem proceedings has some very valuable information that remains current to this day. The reader should use his/her best judgment where conflicting opinions are presented; pine study findings may contradict one another due to several abiotic, biotic, management, and other factors. The efforts of many people made the slash pine symposium possible. The following is a list of those who contributed to planning; conference program organization; making local arrangements; lining up sponsors and exhibits committees; and inviting symposium speakers, moderators, and reviewers. Planning Committee: Jill Barbour, John Bridges, Chris Carey, Steve Chapman, David Dickens, Mark Frye, George Hernandez, John Holzaepfel, Bill Hubbard, Eric Jokela, Susan King, Charlie Marcus, Mike Mengak, Jarek Nowak, and Larry Thompson Conference Chair: Bill Hubbard Program Co-Chairs: David Dickens and Eric Jokela Sponsors and Exhibits Committee: John Bridges, Steve Chapman, and David Dickens Local Arrangements Committee: Chris Carey, Mark Frye, and Susan King ii Contents Page Page Slash Pine: Characteristics, History, Status, Wood Quality of Slash Pine and its Effect on and Trends . 1 Lumber, Paper, and Other Products . 61 James P. Barnett and Raymond M. Sheffield Alexander Clark III and Richard F. Daniels Slash Pine Tree Improvement . 7 Prescribed Fire and Slash Pine . 66 Tim L. White and Tom D. Byram A.J. Long, A. Behm, L. Cassidy, J. DiMartino, D. Doran, D. Freeman, J. Helmers, K. Keefe, A. Miller, Slash Pine Establishment: What Has Changed— S. Ranasinghe, C. Randall, M. Rasser, A. Ruth, 1981–2002? . 20 D. Shipley, and A. Van Loan Marshall Jacobson Wildlife Management Issues and Opportunities Competition Control in Slash Pine in Slash Pine Forests . 79 (Pinus Elliottii Engelm.) Plantations . 23 Michael T. Mengak and Steven B. Castleberry J.L. Yeiser and A.W. Ezell Insect Enemies of Slash Pine . 84 Nutrient Management of Southern Pines . 27 Terry S. Price Eric J. Jokela Major Disease Issues with Slash Pine Planting Density Impacts on Slash Pine Stand Management . 87 Growth, Yield, Product Class Distribution, and Robert. A. Schmidt Economics . 36 E. David Dickens and Rodney E. Will Effects of Annual Pinestraw Removal and Mid-rotation Fertilization on Pine Growth in Loblolly Versus Slash Pine Growth and Yield Unthinned Plantations . 90 Comparisons . 45 E.A. Ogden and L.A. Morris Barry D. Shiver Slash Pine in Integrated Timber, Forage, and Species Deployment Strategies for the Southern Livestock Silvopastoral Systems . 98 Pines: Site Specific Management Practices for the Jarek Nowak and Alan Long Flatwoods of Georgia and Florida . 50 Thomas R. Fox Slash Pine, Pinus elliottii var. elliottii Select Bibliography . 105 An Economic Comparison of Slash and Loblolly Bryan C. McElvany, Kim D. Coder, and Pine under Various Levels of Management in the E. David Dickens Lower Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain . 56 Coleman W. Dangerfield, Jr., E. David Dickens, Index of Authors . 146 and David J. Moorhead iii iv SLASH PINE: CHARACTERISTICS, HISTORY, STATUS, AND TRENDS James P. Barnett and Raymond M. Sheffield1 Abstract—Slash pine is the premier tree species on many sites throughout the South. Its ease of establishment and early growth, however, has extended its range to many sites where its performance has been less than ideal. For that reason, the acreage and volume of slash pine are declining. Nonetheless, it will continue to be the favored species on many sites where it is the most appropriate and productive species. This paper reviews slash pine’s important silvical characteristics, its history of use and management, and the status and trends of this important resource. INTRODUCTION inches long in fascicles of two and three on the same tree. Typical slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm. var. elliottii) is an They are dark, glossy green, and tufted at the ends of excellent timber tree and one of the most important pine tapering branches. They extend back some distance along species in the Southern United States. Many prefer it for its the branch and persist until the end of the second season. fast growth and excellent utility for fiber, lumber, poles, and Cones are 4 to 6 inches long, ovoid conic, and sessile gum naval stores. The habitat and preferred sites within its (fig. 1). They usually remain on the tree until the second natural range include poorly drained flatwoods and stream summer. Cones are reddish brown, lustrous, and armed with edges, as well as seasonally flooded areas such as bays a sharp spine. The seeds are about one-fourth inch long, and swamps. dark brown-black mottled, with thin, translucent wings about 1 inch long. The ease and success of planting slash pine have signifi- cantly increased in its range. Extensive planting and natural regeneration of open agricultural and forest land brought a sharp rise in slash pine acreage between 1952 and 1970 (Sheffield and others 1983). Much of the planting was on sites that did not favor slash pine, and where performance was less than optimal.