Students Conduct Research on Longleaf Project
This past summer, two students associated with our newly established NSF-REU program in Ecology and Environmental Biology conducted research on the Berry Longleaf project: Amy Gaskell (Stephen Austin Univ., TX) and Chris Worrell (Berry College). The following paper was presented by Amy at the 2004 Longleaf Alliance meeting (an updated version will also be presented at the 2005 Association of Southeastern Biologists meeting).
AMY GASKELL1, CIPOLLINI, MARTIN2, AND CHRISTOPHER WORRELL2. Stephen F. Austin University1, and Berry College2 --Use of herbicide and prescribed burning to control hardwoods in the regeneration and restoration of Mountain Longleaf Pine habitats.
Abstract: Hardwood control is a problem in the regeneration and restoration of Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) stands. Data concerning hardwood management techniques are generally lacking for Mountain Longleaf Pine habitats in NW Georgia and NE Alabama. In this study, three experiments were set up on the Berry College campus to evaluate the effects of herbicide and prescribed burning in hardwood control: 1) an evaluation of Garlon 3A in the control of hardwood re-sprouts in a clear-cut area planted with Mountain Longleaf Pine seedlings; 2) an evaluation Arsenal injection in the control of hardwoods in mature Mountain Longleaf Pine stands, and; 3) an examination of the effects of a spring prescribed fuel reduction burn in mature stands. In the first experiment, hardwoods were treated by foliar spray in June 2004, and effects measured four weeks later. In the second experiment, hardwoods in five mature stands were injected in March 2004 and effects measured in July 2004. In the third experiment, fuel analyses were taken before and after an April 2004 prescribed burn (two study stands), and from burned and unburned areas (three study stands). Hardwood re-sprouts reacted differently to Garlon 3A, with certain species (e.g., Sweet-gum) showing resistance to the herbicide. The Arsenal injection results were confounded by the prescribed burn, but Red Maple was significantly negatively affected by the herbicide treatment independent of the effects of burning. Finally, fuel analysis showed limited effects on the abundance of small hardwoods despite considerable reduction of litter, duff and downed woody fuels.
The extended abstract of the above presentation will be published in the next Longleaf Alliance Report.