Research Interests:
The subject of the study was longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) old-growth forest in the Flomaton National Area in Alabama.
Research Interests:
In 1948, the US Forest Service set aside a 40-ac tract on the Escambia Experimental Forest in South Alabama to demonstrate longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) management for the small landowner. At that time, the management goal for... more
In 1948, the US Forest Service set aside a 40-ac tract on the Escambia Experimental Forest in South Alabama to demonstrate longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) management for the small landowner. At that time, the management goal for this “Farm 40” was to produce high-quality poles and logs on a 60-year rotation. The goal was to be accomplished entirely through management of the existing natural forest, with little to no capital investment other than the cost for prescribed burning, marking trees for cut, and limited control of cull hardwoods. Management of the forest has continued making the Farm 40 an excellent demonstration of small-scale longleaf pine management. Frequent harvests and small capital outlay continues to make this type of management strategy especially appealing to today's landowners with limited resources.
Research Interests:
i Natural communities domina-ed by iongieaf pine (Pin~~s palustsins Miii.) once covered an estima:ed two thirds of the forested area in the southeastern United States. Today. less that1 1.2 miliion ha remain, tiowever. over the past 10-15... more
i Natural communities domina-ed by iongieaf pine (Pin~~s palustsins Miii.) once covered an estima:ed two thirds of the forested area in the southeastern United States. Today. less that1 1.2 miliion ha remain, tiowever. over the past 10-15 years. public land managers have begtrn to restcre many longleaf pine forests. More recently incentive programs have prompted refores:ation and afforestation programs on nonin-djstrial private iands, These activi?ies have been facilitated by imprc~ed longleaf regeneration technology and by expanded educational and outreach e'orts, in the Soiitb, there 1s also a arowing irerid t-wards ionger rotaiions diie to changes in wc.od;f!ber markets ard prices. These trends svggest a new srrategy ro increase terrestrial carbon storage in?he sou;h-eastern Unned States in a way that provides many simulta-lecus ecologlCai ahd eccnom's benefits. For example,:ongleaf pine is a long-lived species with a low motTality rate. Among the soutnern pine species,...
Research Interests:
The majority of the coastal plain from Virginia to Texas was predominantly covered by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stands. These forests were described as 'park like' forests with a clean, aesthetic, and picturesque... more
The majority of the coastal plain from Virginia to Texas was predominantly covered by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stands. These forests were described as 'park like' forests with a clean, aesthetic, and picturesque understory. However, European settlement dramatically degraded the longleaf pine ecosystem. Today, suppression of fires has substantially reduced the pine reproduction, increased the woody understory vegetation, and has significantly decreased the stand maintenance and regeneration of longleaf pine stands. Yet, there is a gap in understanding the relationship between the scenic beauty, forests aesthetics and how prescribed fire treatments impact the public perception of longleaf pine forests. This study aims to evaluate how different seasons and timing of prescribed fire treatments impact the scenic beauty of longleaf pine forests on the Escambia Experimental Forest near Brewton, Alabama. The main objectives of this research was to examine the forest mea...
Research Interests:
Managers are often asked to include conservation values in forest management plans. In the upland coastal plain of the southeastern United States, fire is an important natural process and a vital land management tool. Many native... more
Managers are often asked to include conservation values in forest management plans. In the upland coastal plain of the southeastern United States, fire is an important natural process and a vital land management tool. Many native ecosystems are dependent on frequent burns. It is often suggested that mimicking a natural fire regime is the best way to improve and maintain conservation values in many forest types. Unfortunately, fire return interval has been the primary component of a fire regime historically considered, with seasonality of fire generally playing a lesser role. Here, we review what constitutes a fire regime and present data from two long-term burn treatments based in naturally regenerated loblolly-shortleaf pine (Pinus taeda L. - P. echinata Mill.) and longleaf pine (P. palustris Mill.). The information is used to: (1) consider how fire return interval and/or season of burn influence stand structure, and (2) determine if applying one or both of these components of a na...
Research Interests:
Ecological restoration in a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stand is being studied in the Flomaton Natural Area (FNA) in Escambia County, AL. The FNA had been protected from fire for over 45 years. The absence of fire permitted a... more
Ecological restoration in a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stand is being studied in the Flomaton Natural Area (FNA) in Escambia County, AL. The FNA had been protected from fire for over 45 years. The absence of fire permitted a hardwood midstory and litter layer to develop at the expense of longleaf pine regeneration and an herbaceous understory. Reintroducing fire posed a problem because of the existing fuel conditions. The stand was burned in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2003. Longleaf pine density has decreased while basal area has remained relatively stable during the restoration efforts. The fuel loads are decreasing slowly and despite the heavy litter layer, longleaf pine regeneration has been established.
Research Interests:
Ecological research aimed at determining optimal conditions for longleaf pine regeneration has become increasingly important in efforts @ restore the longleaf pine ecosystem. Numerous authors have concluded that a negative relationship... more
Ecological research aimed at determining optimal conditions for longleaf pine regeneration has become increasingly important in efforts @ restore the longleaf pine ecosystem. Numerous authors have concluded that a negative relationship exists between the occurrence of seedlings and the occurrence of mature trees; however, observed field conditions in several North Carolina Coastal Plain sites suggested otherwise. Second- growth stands in the Croatan National Forest, North Carolina were examined to further elucidate spatial relationships between longleaf pine seedlings and mature trees. Specific questions addressed were I) Does the spatial pattern of stems depart from random for either mature trees or seedlings, 2) Is there a spatial association between )nature trees and seedlings, and 3) Does a relationship exist between the occurrence of mature trees and underground or surface resources (i.e., carbon and nitrogen content and litter biomass) or root biomass. Ripley's univariate ...
Research Interests:
Expanding wild pig (Sus scrofa) populations across the southern United States has the potential to impact longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) restoration efforts. The depredation of planted pine seedlings is the most widespread and... more
Expanding wild pig (Sus scrofa) populations across the southern United States has the potential to impact longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) restoration efforts. The depredation of planted pine seedlings is the most widespread and economically costly damage caused by wild pigs in forest plantations. A better understanding of the ecological factors affecting depredation rates will allow managers to implement best management practices to reduce seedling mortality from wild pigs at their most vulnerable stage of growth. From March 2016 to March 2017, we evaluated wild pig preferences for planted pine and hardwood species at a 34.4-ha cutover site and 4.7-ha pecan (Carya illinoinensis) orchard in Bullock County, Alabama, USA. Wild pig damage differed for the 5 seedling species tested, with longleaf and cherrybark oak (Quercus pagodaefolia) being the most preferred. Ninety one percent of seedlings destroyed by wild pigs were from the cutover site. Wild pigs at the cutover site experienced s...
Research Interests:
Volume 24 (2),2004 ABSTRACT: Old-growth savannas and forests dominated by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) are of great conservation and research interest. Comprehensive inventories of old-growth communities,' however, are... more
Volume 24 (2),2004 ABSTRACT: Old-growth savannas and forests dominated by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) are of great conservation and research interest. Comprehensive inventories of old-growth communities,' however, are lacking for most of longleaf pine's natural range. We searched the literature, interviewed regional experts, queried email discussion lists and newsletters, and made on-site inspections to compile a revised list of old-growth longleaf pine stands, their acreage and status. We found 15 old-growth longleaf pine stands covering 5095 ha in only four of the nine states in the natural range of longleaf pine. Our area estimate represents 0.004% of extant acreage and 0.00014% of the presettlement extent. Further, some community types (e.g., Piedmont, West Gulf Coastal Plain provinces) have no extant old-growth longleaf pine reference sites. Old-growth stand ownerships are diverse, with large tracts (> 400 hal in both public and private ownerships. Half of ...
Research Interests:
Littleleaf disease is the most significant disease of shortleaf pine and has decimated shortleaf pine forests in the Piedmont region of the Southeast. This study used the littleleaf disease hazard soil rating method to evaluate the... more
Littleleaf disease is the most significant disease of shortleaf pine and has decimated shortleaf pine forests in the Piedmont region of the Southeast. This study used the littleleaf disease hazard soil rating method to evaluate the littleleaf hazard of Piedmont sites owned by Auburn University in the Auburn, Alabama area. The results indicate that a few of these stands are suitable for shortleaf pine management. Furthermore, soil cores were an accurate replacement for soil profiles, and soil series descriptions from the NRCS soil survey were not adequate for remotely assessing a site’s littleleaf disease hazard.
Forty longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) trees initially ranging from 1 to 1.5 m in height were measured on the Escambia Experimental Forest from 1969 through 1980. The trees were evenly divided between two soil types. From 1969... more
Forty longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) trees initially ranging from 1 to 1.5 m in height were measured on the Escambia Experimental Forest from 1969 through 1980. The trees were evenly divided between two soil types. From 1969 through 1970, height and diameter measurements were recorded one to four times weekly during the growing seasons and once a month during the dormant seasons. Daily height growth measurements were recorded in the morning and again in the evening during the peaks of these two growing seasons to determine diurnal and nocturnal growth. Follow-up height and diameter measurements were recorded periodically from 1971 through 1980. To test the effects shading had on growth patterns, cheesecloth was suspended over 10 randomly selected trees from each soil type during the first growing season. Analyses of variance were used to identify potentially significant differences in growth between shade treatments and soil types.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
An individual tree annual survival rate model was developed for naturally regenerated, even-aged longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.). Development was based on 44,000 survival observations on 15,000 trees occurring on 202 permanent... more
An individual tree annual survival rate model was developed for naturally regenerated, even-aged longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.). Development was based on 44,000 survival observations on 15,000 trees occurring on 202 permanent sample plots located in central and southern Alabama, southern Mississippi, southwest Georgia, and northern Florida. Variables used in the model were predicted diameter increment and diameter at breast height (dbh). Predicted annual survival rates ranged from 0.92 for a tree with a 1 in. dbh and an annual diameter increment of O.05 in., to over 0.99 for any tree larger than 6 in. in dbh. Stand level verification was based on 102 comparisons of observed and predicted trees per acre (tpa). Mean residuals, expressed as a percentage of observed final tpa, were 3% and 6% for projection periods of 5 and 10 yr, respectively. The model predicts noncatastrophic mortality. In conjunction with a basal area increment model, it can be used to predict changes in the s...
Research Interests:
A dynamic site equation derived using the generalized algebraic difference approach was developed for thinned stands of natural longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) in the East Gulf region of the United States using 40 years of... more
A dynamic site equation derived using the generalized algebraic difference approach was developed for thinned stands of natural longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) in the East Gulf region of the United States using 40 years of measurements on 285 permanent plots. The base model predicts height growth of trees once they reach 4.5 ft and was fit using a varying parameter for each tree and global parameters that are constant for all 3,267 trees. Parameters were estimated in one step using the dummy variable approach and a first-order autoregressive error term to account for serial correlation. The final base-age invariant equation allows the user to specify the number of years required for trees to reach 4.5 ft in height.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Abstract Livelihood vulnerability in environmentally fragile areas is emerging as a key issue due to its positive feedback to environmental degradation. Assessment of sustainable livelihoods is a crucial prerequisite for targeting... more
Abstract Livelihood vulnerability in environmentally fragile areas is emerging as a key issue due to its positive feedback to environmental degradation. Assessment of sustainable livelihoods is a crucial prerequisite for targeting interventions. However, aggregated analysis usually obtained ambiguous conclusions because they ignored the heterogeneity of rural households. Here, we evaluated the livelihood sustainability of different rural households by constructing an improved Livelihood Sustainability Index (LSI) in hilly red soil erosion areas of southern China. Changting County was selected as the study case by virtue of its unique representativeness in soil erosion and poverty. The results showed that livelihood sustainability among rural households was far from equivalent. Different from previous studies, higher nonfarm income share was not always consistent with higher extent of livelihood sustainability. Besides nonfarm employment, agricultural specialization could be another viable pathway to attain sustainable livelihoods. We also found that intergenerational sustainability was one primary cause for long-term livelihood differentiation of rural households. The poor education in rural areas would aggravate livelihood vulnerability of the poor and threaten the sustainable livelihoods of specialized agricultural households. Policy implications include further investment in rural infrastructure, irrigation and drainage, and stimulus for land transfer and concentration to facilitate agrarian specialization; enhancing investment in rural education to improve intergenerational sustainability; as well as targeting of the most vulnerable households, for example, promoting development of social insurance, social relief, and medical services for orphans and widows.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
In its pristine condition with millions of trees measuring a yard or more in basal diameter, the Pinus palustris consocies unquestionably presented one of the most wonderful forests in the world. And today hardly an acre is left in North... more
In its pristine condition with millions of trees measuring a yard or more in basal diameter, the Pinus palustris consocies unquestionably presented one of the most wonderful forests in the world. And today hardly an acre is left in North Carolina to give its citizens a conception of what nature had wrought in an earlier day. The complete destruction of this forest constitutes one of the major social crimes of American history. (Wells and Shunk 1931, 487)
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Environmental Science, Analytical Chemistry, Fire, Invasive Species, Forest fire, and 14 moreForest, United States, Forests, Activation Energy, Nitrogen, Wildfire, Thermogravimetry, Thermal Analysis, Forest ecosystem, Thermogravimetric Analysis, Thermal Properties, Understory, Elevated Temperature, and Management Tool
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Geography, Environmental Science, Land management, Environmental Management, Carbon Sequestration, and 11 moreMultidisciplinary, Longleaf Pine, Wood Products, Carbon Storage, Pinus palustris, Specific Gravity, Southeastern United States, Environmental, Economic Benefit, Carbon Sink, and Mortality rate
Uneven-aged management of longleaf pine: a long-term demonstration. Rebecca J. Barlow, School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn University, AL, John C. Gilbert, Longleaf Pine Stand Dynamics Laboratory ...
In 1973, a study was established in south-central Alabama, U.S.A., to determine the effects of hardwood control treatments on understory succession and overstory growth in natural stands of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.). The... more
In 1973, a study was established in south-central Alabama, U.S.A., to determine the effects of hardwood control treatments on understory succession and overstory growth in natural stands of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.). The treatments were seasonal biennial burns and a no-burn check, each combined with three supplemental hardwood control treatments (one-time chemical, periodic mechanical, and untreated check). Green vegetation less than 1 cm DBH and organic litter were destructively sampled to determine the effects of 23 years of treatments on understory vegetation and identify changes in this community since last sampled in 1982. Among the hardwood control treatments, the only significant differences occurred in the shrub and green biomass (total of tree, shrub, woody vine, and herbaceous species masses) component of the understory. There were significant differences for all vegetation components when comparing the burning to no-burn treatment. Green biomass estimates were...
Research Interests:
Although the loss of Pinus palustris P. Mill. (longleaf pine) dominated communities and the alteration of the presettlement fire regimes have been documented, there is little information on the ecology of the presettlement lower Coastal... more
Although the loss of Pinus palustris P. Mill. (longleaf pine) dominated communities and the alteration of the presettlement fire regimes have been documented, there is little information on the ecology of the presettlement lower Coastal Plain forests of the southeastern United States. We used 12 637 witness trees, which were recorded by General Land Office surveyors between 1820 and 1846, to identify presettlement witness tree associations and to explore witness tree – environmental variable relationships. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was used to identify three witness tree associations including a Pinus spp. – Quercus marilandica (L.) Muenchh. association, a Quercus spp. – Carya spp. association, and a Persea spp. – Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. association. Canonical correspondence analysis and contingency tables were used to describe and test witness tree relationships with slope, elevation, and soil drainage. Additionally, bearing distances, used as an indicator of forest d...
Research Interests:
Description: The Southeastern United States was once dominated by a longleaf pine ecosystem which ranged from Virginia to Texas and covered approximately 22 to 36 million ha. The unique fire tolerant species provided the necessary habitat... more
Description: The Southeastern United States was once dominated by a longleaf pine ecosystem which ranged from Virginia to Texas and covered approximately 22 to 36 million ha. The unique fire tolerant species provided the necessary habitat for numerous plant and animal ...
Research Interests:
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 - 5:50 PM Mortality in natural even-aged longleaf pine. John C. Gilbert, John S. Kush, and Rebecca J. Barlow. Auburn University. Background/Question/Methods Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill ...
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 Growth increases in younger sequential cohorts of naturally regenerated Pinus palustris in south Alabama, USA? John S. Kush, Auburn University, Dwight K. Lauer, Silvics Analytic, John C. Gilbert ...
Age and structural characteristics were measured in two frequently burned old-growth mountain longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) communities along Choccolocco Mountain in northeastern Alabama. Stands studied were open-canopied and... more
Age and structural characteristics were measured in two frequently burned old-growth mountain longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) communities along Choccolocco Mountain in northeastern Alabama. Stands studied were open-canopied and park-like (8.3 to 13 m2ha ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The physiological development of longieaf pine seed extends over three calendar years. The duration of this process may explain the reason for infrequent seed crops. Infrequent crops cause problems for those interested in natural... more
The physiological development of longieaf pine seed extends over three calendar years. The duration of this process may explain the reason for infrequent seed crops. Infrequent crops cause problems for those interested in natural regeneration. Longleaf pine cone crops have been monitored on the Escambia Experimental Forest (EEF) in Brewton, AL since 1958. Weather data was logged up to 4 years prior to seedfall to determine if a relationship exists between climate and cone crops. Correlation analyses indicated precipitation ...
Research Interests: Botany, Landscape Ecology, Geography, Climate Change, Conservation Biology, and 12 moreBiology, Ecology, Vegetation Ecology, Forest Ecology, Biodiversity Research, Tree Physiology, Longleaf Pine, Natural Regeneration, Notes, Landscape and Land-use-history, Alpine and Arctic Research, and Calendar year
Longleaf pine is a long-rotation tree, with potential intermediate products from pine straw, frequent thinnings, hunting leases, and wildlife habitat. Despite a focus on plantations and short-rotation management, many landowners and... more
Longleaf pine is a long-rotation tree, with potential intermediate products from pine straw, frequent thinnings, hunting leases, and wildlife habitat. Despite a focus on plantations and short-rotation management, many landowners and managers are still interested in long-term management because of high-valued products derived from longer rotations. Do we have the most basic and reliable information to write management plans for long-term rotations like a 45-, 65-, or 120-year rotations? Can we improve planning for longleaf silvicultural activities of regeneration, thinning, and burning? We would argue the data exists to help answer these questions in the U.S. Forest Service’s Regional Longleaf Growth Study (RLGS) established in 1964. The study’s original objective was to obtain a database to develop growth and yield predictions for naturally regenerated, even-aged longleaf pine stands. We have expanded the RLGS to examine pine straw, utility pole, forage production, and more. Recent ...
Abstract: Some evidence suggests that longleaf pine might be more tolerant of high winds than either slash pine (Pinus elliotii Englem.) or loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). We studied wind damage to these three pine species in a common... more
Abstract: Some evidence suggests that longleaf pine might be more tolerant of high winds than either slash pine (Pinus elliotii Englem.) or loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). We studied wind damage to these three pine species in a common garden experiment in southeast ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Most of the forested lands in the south-eastern United States were largely the result of the frequent, low intensity, non-lethal fires that swept through the pre-settlement forests. In the absence of fire, forested stands develop a thick... more
Most of the forested lands in the south-eastern United States were largely the result of the frequent, low intensity, non-lethal fires that swept through the pre-settlement forests. In the absence of fire, forested stands develop a thick undergrowth of broad-leaved species and herbaceous vegetation. In this study, we compared the influence of prescribed fire on the understory vegetative cover of loblolly pine stands in relation to visual quality assessment. To examine the visual quality of prescribed fire management, a box-counting method was used to analyze photographs of prescribed fire management. The photographs were taken from: a) one-year fire return interval, b) two-year fire return interval, c) three-year fire return interval, and d) no-burn. The objectives of this study were: 1) develop a comparison of aesthetic value of the different fire return intervals of fire management with areas not experiencing prescribed fire; and 2) provide an estimate of enhancing visual quality of forest stands with prescribed fire management. The results showed that one-year interval prescribed fire application stands had more abundant grass cover (Andropogon sp.) than two- and three-year interval treatments. There was a significant decrease in grass cover between one-year and two-year prescribed burning. A positive relationship was also found between frequency of fire treatment and abundance of grass. No burn areas were covered by woody vegetation which may have a negative impact on scenic beauty and visual quality.
Research Interests:
The majority of the coastal plain from Virginia to Texas was predominantly covered by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stands. These forests were described as 'park like' forests with a clean, aesthetic, and picturesque understory.... more
The majority of the coastal plain from Virginia to Texas was predominantly covered by longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stands. These forests were described as 'park like' forests with a clean, aesthetic, and picturesque understory. However, European settlement dramatically degraded the longleaf pine ecosystem. Today, suppression of fires has substantially reduced the pine reproduction, increased the woody understory vegetation, and has significantly decreased the stand maintenance and regeneration of longleaf pine stands. Yet, there is a gap in understanding the relationship between the scenic beauty, forests aesthetics and how prescribed fire treatments impact the public perception of longleaf pine forests. This study aims to evaluate how different seasons and timing of prescribed fire treatments impact the scenic beauty of longleaf pine forests on the Escambia Experimental Forest near Brewton, Alabama. The main objectives of this research was to examine the forest measurements associated with each of the prescribed fire treatments in an attempt determine additional factors that may contribute to the scenic beauty of a forest scene.