Effects of cultural intensity and density regime treatment on post-thinning loblolly pine individual tree development in the Lower Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States

Abstract

Four study installations from the Lower Coastal Plain were used to evaluate the effect of planting density, cultural intensity, and thinning treatment on loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) individual tree development during the six year post-thin period. The study has four initial densities combined with two cultural treatments that were thinned at age 12 to the current density on the lowest initial density. Results indicate that density significantly impacted the increment of all tree attributes examined. Cultural intensity had less effect and did not significantly alter increment. The effect of culture was greater on the growth response of individual stems when initial stand density and structure were accounted for. The linear increment and relative size-growth (RSG) were compared for estimating basal area by DBH class on two example plots. The RSG model produced more accurate estimations due to the inclusion of stand level basal area within the estimation parameter.