Soil Morphological, Physical, and Chemical Parameters Affecting Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) Site Quality and Ecosystem Restoration Potential in East Texas

There has been a large decline in coverage of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) within its range in the southeastern United States since the time of European settlement. Due to this decline, interest has developed in the re-establishment of this species on suitable sites. However, many attempts have been unsuccessful in re-establishment, likely in part due to the lack of emphasis on selection of suitable soils. Historically, longleaf pine was found on soils with a wide range of soil properties, including higher quality soils, due to frequent fires which kept many competing species suppressed. Decline in longleaf pine coverage has been attributed to many factors, including both site conversion and fire exclusion. Much of the land that originally supported longleaf pine in the southeastern United States has been converted to agricultural use, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda Mill.) plantations, and urban development. Fire has often been excluded from longleaf pine ecosystems in recent history due to concern for human health, safety, and liability. Because of limited funding and reduced opportunities for prescribed fire use, longleaf pine ecosystem restoration efforts might be best focused on more marginal soils that have characteristics that naturally restrain herbaceous and hardwood competition. However, there is a need to quantify the potential productivity for longleaf pine on these marginal soils and to develop understandings of edaphic factors limiting their growth. Soil morphological, physical, and chemical properties in existing longleaf pine ecosystems on three soil series in the Angelina and Sabine National Forests in east Texas were evaluated to develop a better understanding of how variation in soil properties may affect longleaf pine site quality. Analysis of variance and regression techniques were used to compare soil properties for three different soil mapping units: Letney (Arenic Paleudults), Stringtown (Typic Hapludults), and Tehran (Grossarenic Paleudults). These soils all support natural longleaf pine stands, but vary in texture, depth to argillic horizons, nutrient availability, available water capacity, and other parameters which are likely related to site quality, as measured by site index, of longleaf pine. Longleaf pine site index was influenced by depth to E horizon, depth to first argillic B horizon, texture of B horizon, and nutrients in the B horizon. B horizon physical and chemical variables appeared to be most influential on observed site index values for longleaf pine on the soils in the study

Site Factors Influence on Herbaceous Understory Diversity in East Texas Pinus palustris savannas

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) savannas were once dominant across the southeastern U.S., including East Texas and parts of western and central Louisiana. The diverse understory associated with these historical savannas may occasionally be seen today, but not often in longleaf pine ecosystems. This project aimed to define east Texas site characteristics that are necessary to support these ecosystems with a dense and diverse herbaceous understory with little to no midstory cover. Fifty-nine plots across three study sites were established to evaluate the influence of overstory cover, basal area, aspect, elevation, and slope on the number of plant genera present. Forest structure and site characteristics had significant effects on the number of plant genera found. The number of genera increased with higher elevation and slope; as elevation increased, there was a decline in basal area and overstory cover, leading to a more diverse, understory layer. In order to re-establish and maintain a diverse, herbaceous understory in longleaf pine savannas, sites with more open canopies and on slopes with the most solar exposure should be given priority, particularly when planting desired understory species

Survival of pines on droughty soils: two-year results

Three species of pines (loblolly, slash and longleaf) were planted with four treatments (loblolly and slash = bareroot, clay dip slurry and TerrasorH ; longleaf = containerized) to test survival on droughty, typic quartzipsamments soils. At the end of the first season, survival~s significantly better for the containerized longleaf and Terrasoro treated loblolly pine (81 and 85%) followed by untreaRed loblolly pine (51%), clay-treated loblolly (50%), then Terrasorb treated slash (48%), untreated slash (41%) and clay-treated slash (36%). At the e~of the second growing season, longleaf had 56% survival, Terrasor~ treated loblolly (51%), clay-dip slurry loblolly (31.9%), Terrasoro treated slash (21%), untreated loblolly pine (20%) and clay-treated slash and untreated slash (17%). Pest management recommendations and management considerations are presented

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Nest-Cavity Selection: Relationships with Cavity Age and Resin Production

ABSTRACT.--We evaluated selection of nest sites by male Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) in Texas relative to the age of the cavity when only cavities excavated by the woodpecker were available and when both naturally excavated cavities and artificial cavities we available. We also evaluated nest-cavity selection relative to he ability of naturally excavated cavity trees to produce resin, which is used by the woodpeckers to maintain a barrier against predation by rat snakes (Elaphe spp.), Longleaf pines (Pinus palustris) selected by breeding males as nest trees produced significantly greater resin yields at 2, 8, and 24 h post-wounding than cavity trees used for roosting by other group members. This preference was observed in loblolly pine (P. taeda) and shortleaf pine (P. echinata) cavity trees only at the 2-h resin-sampling period. When only naturally excavated cavities were available. red-cockaded Woodpeckers in both longleaf pine and loblolly-shorleaf pine habitat selected the newest cavities available for their nests sites, possibly as a means to reduce parasites loads. When both naturally excavated and artificial cavity for nesting in loblolly-shortleaf pine habitat, but not in longleaf pine habitat. Resin production in loblolly pine nest trees remained sufficient for continued use, whereas resin production in existing longleaf pine nest trees remained sufficient for continued use, whereas resin production in loblolly pine and shortleaf pine nest trees deceased through time, probably because of woodpecker activity at resin wells. For these latter tree species, breeding males switched to newer cavities and/pr cavity trees with higher resin yields

Drought Sensitivity of Slash Pine and Longleaf Pine Deduced by Tree Ring Analysis

Annual tree rings give us the opportunity to investigate the adaptation of trees to climate and environmental changes over a long period of time. In particular, the physical characteristics of each ring (width and earlywood and late wood differentiation) can be used to reconstruct past environment conditions. Physiological responses of trees will be evaluated for two conifers species, i.e. Longleaf pine and Slash pine, giving the opportunity to compare the two species and understand how each species (Longleaf pine and Slash pine) adapt their water use to thrive in such extreme environments. Growth data will then be related to the intrinsic Water Use Efficiency (iWUE, i.e., ratio of carbon assimilated relative to stomatal conductance), derived by stable carbon isotope composition (d13C) in tree rings, as one of the main tasks included in a NASA-funded project aiming to assess changes in at eleven forested Ameriflux sites across North America spanning a wide range of forest types and climate conditions

Survival of Longleaf and Loblolly Pines Planted at Two Spacings in an East Texas Bahiagrass Silvopasture

The practice of combining intensive timber and forage production on the same site, a silvopasture system, offers landowners the potential for diversification of income. The establishment of such a system in a pasture setting offers unique challenges compared with traditional timber or forage systems. In 2003, a silvopasture demonstration was established south of Carthage, Texas, in a pasture dominated by bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum). Four replications of treatments composed of open pasture, longleaf (Pinus palustris) and loblolly (Pinus taeda) pine planted at a traditional spacing, and longleaf and loblolly pine planted at a silvopasture spacing were established. Due to high mortality rates, replanting of trees occurred in 2004 and 2005. Third-year seedling survival was highest for loblolly pine in both planting systems, and forage production levels did not significantly differ among treatments. Wild hog damage contributed to the low longleaf pine seedling survival rates

Relationships Between Habitat and Snag Characteristics and the Reproductive Success of the Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) in Eastern Texas.

Habitat use and reproductive success of the Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla Latham) were studied in East Texas during the 2001-2002 breeding seasons. We compared nest cavity selection at used and randomly selected non-used areas. Height of nest trees, midstory density, and percent leaf litter were negatively correlated with nest site selection. Brown-headed Nuthatches showed a strong preference for short snags; yet placed their nest cavity entrances near the top ofthe snags. While nuthatches may be selecting for habitats with little or no midstory density, percent of leaf litter in the nest sites is most likely the consequence of frequent burning. No significant differences among habitat variables and snag characteristics were found between successful and failed nest cavities. Additionally, no habitat variables were correlated with the number of chicks fledged per nest. Predation was the major cause of nest failure in this study

Land and Resource Management on Typic Quartzipsamments

Survival and growth of seven species/treatment combinations were tested on Tonkawa fine sand (thermic, coated Typic Quartzipsamment) in Nacogdoches County, Texas. In January 1983, seedlings were hand-planted on an intensively prepared clearcut site on the Tonkawa soil series in northern Nacogdoches County. Tonkawa sands serve as recharge zones for the Carrizo aquifer, a major source of clean groundwater for much of East Texas. Intensive management practices on this sensitive site created severe site conditions, providing incentive for the study. Species/ treatment combinations were: untreated loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) pine (LOB/CON); Terra-SorbTM -treated loblolly (LOB/Tm);olin clay slurry-treated loblolly (LOB/CLA); untreated slash (P. elliottii Engelm.) pine (SLA/CON); Terra-Sorb-treated slash (%A/ TBR); kaolin clay slurry-treated slash (SLA/ CLA); and containerized longleaf pine (P. alustris Mill.) (LL/CONT). Treatments were applied as a bareroot+up prior to planting, to increase soil moisture retention near the roots, and subsequently increase survival. Containerized longleaf yielded the highest survival (greater than 50 percent) throughout the study, followed by LOB/TER (38 percent), while all other treatments were unacceptable (below 30 percent by the end of the sixth year). Management recommendations include reforest the site in longleaf pine or allow the natural scrub vegetation to inhabit the site, while managing for nontimber resources, such as groundwater, wildlife, and recreation

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Nestling Provisioning and Reproduction in Two Different Pine Habitats

We obtained nestling provisioning and reproductive data from 24 Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) groups occupying two different pine habitats-longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) and a mixture of loblolly (P. taeda) and shortleaf pine (P. echinata)--in eastern Texas during 1990 and 1901. Habitat data were collected within 800 m of each group\u27s cavity-tree cluster. Feeding trips per nest and prey biomass per feeding trip were significantly greater in lohlolly-shortleaf pine habitat. There were few significant correlations between reproductive/provisioning and habitat variables in either pine habitat. Pines dying from infestation by southern pine beetles (Dendroctonus frontalis) were more common in loblolly-shortleaf than in longleaf pine habitat. In addition, adult male Red-cockaded Woodpeckers weighed more in loblolly-shortleaf pine habitat. Indices of southern pine beetle abundance in loblolly-shortleaf pine habitat were negatively correlated with but positively correlated with prey biomass delivered to nestlings. We number of feeding trips per nestling, hypothesize that the greater abundance of southern pine beetles and associated arthropods in loblolly-shortleaf pine habitat, ancl the resulting higher frequency of dying pines containing an abundant food source, were associated with an elevated prey biomass available to both nestling and adult Red-cockaded Woodpeckers